AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that after achieving strong growth in manufacturing, engineering and green energy, Gujarat must now enter the top three states in the services sector and place Ahmedabad alongside the country’s leading technology hubs.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Million Minds Tech Park in Ahmedabad.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the projects represent a step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to expand technology, innovation and high-skilled industries in Gujarat.
“Gujarat has performed exceptionally well across a wide range of sectors: manufacturing, engineering, pharma, ports, logistics, green energy, industrial infrastructure and investment. Now is the time to elevate Gujarat to a position among the top three states in the services sector as well,” he said, adding that when Gujarat enters a sector with determination, it will take no time to secure a place among the top three and will achieve the same success in the IT sector as well.
Projects like Million Minds Tech City will not only create world-class infrastructure and employment opportunities, but will also place Ahmedabad alongside the leading technology destinations in the country, he said.
“If we are to rank alongside Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Gurugram, technology parks like this are essential for Ahmedabad to secure that position,” he added.
Shah said that India has emerged as a leading country in the field of artificial intelligence and that the center is promoting robotics, quantum computing, semiconductors, automation, cybersecurity, defense and space technology.
He said Gujarat has led industrial growth since independence and gained global recognition after 2002 through structured policies, infrastructure development, ease of doing business and entrepreneurship-led growth.
The Home Minister said the center is focusing on technology parks and global capability centers as India shifts towards a service-based, high-skilled economy, with such infrastructure aimed at attracting global companies and generating high-value jobs.
Million Minds Tech Park is developed over an area of over 13.5 lakh square feet at a cost of approx $Rs 1,100 crore will provide work environment for 9,000 professionals in its first phase. “The project will be expanded in seven phases with estimated investments $15,000 crore and is expected to generate over 63,000 high-value jobs over the next five years,” Shah said.
The project extends over an area of 65 acres, 50% for commercial use, and includes commercial centers, hotels and residential facilities, forming an integrated ecosystem.
Shah also inaugurated the campus of Ganesh Institute of Real Estate Management and said that the real estate sector requires structured professional training. The campus will initially accommodate 300 students, while a 100-acre facility will be developed near Thule Lake at an estimated cost. $500 Crores.
Commenting on the launch, Shekhar Patel, MD & CEO, Ganesh Housing Limited, and National President, Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), said, “The City of One Million Tech Minds is fundamentally a story of economic growth and employment generation in Gujarat. We are building an ecosystem that will generate more than 70,000 jobs directly and indirectly, enable reverse migration of Gujarat’s talent pool, and strengthen Ahmedabad’s position as a serious city.” A destination for international companies and GCC countries.
The home minister, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, also inaugurated the innovation and incubation center at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad on Sunday and said the institute should expand into high-tech sectors like semiconductors and chip design while helping young designers turn creativity into viable careers.
Speaking at the event, Shah said that design is not limited to art but has played a role in various sectors, including industrial and technical projects. He said India has a strong tradition of design and craftsmanship but its potential needs systematic development.
He said the goal behind NID is to promote design culture and realize its commercial value. He said many people have design skills but cannot pursue them due to social and economic constraints, adding that institutions like NID should provide access and support.
He said that the new center will support innovation, but stressed the need to guide designers in the field of marketing and entrepreneurship. Shah said NID should create a separate sector to connect students with industry and professional opportunities.
India will fully exploit its design capacity only when creativity is reconciled with commercial application, Shah said, urging the youth to take up design as a career.
Referring to traditional textile art such as Patan Patola, Shah said India’s cultural heritage reflects precision and excellence in design, and called for greater awareness of the practical value of design.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State Harsh Sanghavi were also present at the events.
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister also inaugurated the newly built milk processing plant of Madhur Dairy at Dashela in Gandhinagar on Sunday evening.
Addressing the gathering, he said that the new Madhur dairy plant will become the basis for the economic advancement of livestock farmers and 75% of the profits will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of livestock farmers.
Describing the dairy sector as an important tool for women empowerment, Shah said Gujarat currently collects nearly 3 crore liters of milk daily through 3.6 million women livestock farmers, resulting in around Rs. 200 crores are deposited daily in their bank accounts. Sharing his personal experience, he said that women who were previously financially dependent are now the “heads of their families” because of the dairy sector.
The Union Minister further announced that the government has set a target to increase the income of livestock farmers by at least 20 percent by promoting the ‘circular economy’ model in the dairy sector.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘White Revolution 2.0’, the goal is to triple the country’s milk production over the next 10 years,” Shah said.
Later on Sunday, Shah also virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several worthwhile development projects $620 crore by Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation in the presence of Gujarat President Bhupendra Patil.
