Sanghavi holds investment discussions with 129 Japanese companies

Leading a Gujarat government delegation, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi held two mega round table meetings in a single day with representatives of Japanese companies, conducting discussions with a total of 129 Japanese companies. He also met Suzuki Motor Corporation President Shri Toshihiro Suzuki, Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shri Nakasone Yasutaka, and Iwate Prefecture Governor Shri Takuya Tasso.

A lunch round table meeting held at Hotel Imperial in Tokyo saw participation from 57 leading Japanese industrialists across various sectors. Presenting Gujarat as an investment-friendly state in India, Shri Sanghavi provided information regarding ready land, world-class ports, reliable power supply, and fast-track approval processes.

The second meeting involved 72 suppliers associated with Suzuki's automobile supply chain. Among them, 24 new suppliers expressed interest in quickly establishing units near the Suzuki plant in Hansalpur. Suzuki's annual production in Gujarat stands at 10 lakh cars, with plans to scale this up to 20 lakh cars in the coming years.

During the day, meetings were also held with representatives of 11 leading Japanese companies, including Sumitomo Chemical, Furukawa Electric, Honda, Tokyo Electron, Kyowa Leather, JR East, MUFG Bank, Marubeni, Sanrio, Meraku, and Moririn.

Sumitomo Chemical has decided to set up a manufacturing unit for specialty chemicals for the semiconductor sector in Bhavnagar. Final stage discussions are underway with Tokyo Electron regarding setting up a project in the semiconductor sector. Furukawa Electric is in final stage discussions for an investment of over ₹4,500 crore for an optical fiber cable manufacturing unit for data centers. This production will take place outside Japan for the first time. It is expected to boost the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data center sectors.

Kyowa Leather has given consent to set up a synthetic (PU) leather manufacturing unit in Gujarat, and land will be finalized within one month. As part of its expansion plans in Gujarat, Honda has indicated plans to create 4,000 new employment opportunities by the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028.

Shri Sanghavi stated that when Japanese leaders think about India, the name of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi comes to their minds first. His tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat and his close friendship with the late former Prime Minister of Japan Shri Shinzo Abe have built a bond of intimacy and trust with Japan, making Gujarat the first choice for investment in India for Japan. He added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, this trust is being transformed into opportunities for industries, investment, and employment for the youth of Gujarat.