Gandhinagar, March 1 (IANS). The Gujarat government on Sunday introduced its Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policy 2026-31. On this occasion, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Gujarat Semiconnect Conference-2026 in Gandhinagar and talked about the state’s plans to increase semiconductor manufacturing, design and research.
The Science and Technology Department of Gujarat had organized this conference under the theme ‘Gujarat: India’s Silicon Gateway’. Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, State Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia, senior officials and representatives of domestic and international semiconductor companies participated in it.
In his speech, the Chief Minister said that this conference marks a change in the economic trajectory of the state. He further said that this conference is a signal of Gujarat’s transformation from a growth engine to a tech engine of the country. With policy stability, transparency, ease of doing business and political will for development, Gujarat is emerging as a fast mover in semiconductor and chip manufacturing.
Referring to the national goals of Developed India 2047 and Self-reliant India, the Chief Minister said that Gujarat is committed to fulfill the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the journey from chip to champion. The Chief Minister also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is strengthening its identity in the hardware sector and strengthening the confidence that India is ready, India is reliable and India delivers.
The Chief Minister said that Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) is no longer just a blueprint, but is moving towards becoming the semiconductor city of the country. Quality infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities and modern logistics systems have been developed at Dholera and Sanand to meet the future needs of the semiconductor sector. We are creating necessary infrastructure and logistics with young skilled workforce. A nano-fabrication lab is being set up at IIT Gandhinagar to help in advanced research and training.
He also said that as global industries face concerns over carbon footprint and carbon tax, Gujarat, being a power-surplus state with a strong renewable energy base, is prioritizing green growth.
–IANS
PSK
