Gujarat Dy CM Harsh Sanghavi’s Japan visit secures massive investments. Suzuki will double production to 20 lakh cars/year, Sumitomo and Tokyo Electron boost semiconductor plans, and Furukawa Electric plans a Rs 4500 crore investment.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on wednesday conducted another full day of meetings in Tokyo while leading the Gujarat Government delegation to Japan.
According to the Gujarat Government, Sanghavi, in a single day, addressed two mega roundtables with a total of 129 Japanese companies, comprising a luncheon roundtable with 57 industrialists from various sectors and an automobile supply chain roundtable with 72 Suzuki suppliers.
During the visit, Sanghavi met Suzuki Motor Corporation President Toshihiro Suzuki, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Nakasone Yasutaka, and Governor of Iwate Prefecture Takuya Tasso. He also held individual meetings with 11 other major Japanese companies, including Sumitomo Chemical, Furukawa Electric, Honda, Tokyo Electron, Kyowa Leather, JERA, MUFG Bank, Marubeni, Sanrio, Meiraku, and Moririn.
Key Investment Outcomes
Highlighting the key outcomes of the day, Suzuki Motor announced that its Gujarat production, which has reached 10 lakh cars a year, is set to double to 20 lakh cars in the coming years, while 24 new suppliers from the Suzuki supply chain expressed keenness to set up operations in Gujarat on a fast-track basis. Sumitomo Chemical decided to set up a new specialised chemicals unit for semiconductors in Bhavnagar. Furthermore, Furukawa Electric entered the final round of discussions on an investment of over 4500 crore rupees in optical fibre cables for data centres, marking the first time this product will be manufactured outside Japan. Tokyo Electron also reached the final round of discussions on a project in the semiconductor sector, while Kyowa Leather agreed to set up a man-made PU leather plant in Gujarat, with land to be finalised within a month. Additionally, Honda outlined an expansion plan aimed at creating 4000 new jobs for Gujarat youth by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Engaging with Japanese Industry Leaders
At the luncheon roundtable at Hotel Imperial, Tokyo, the Deputy CM presented Gujarat to 57 leading Japanese industrialists as India’s most investor-friendly state, with ready land, world-class ports, reliable power and fast approvals.
At the second roundtable, with 72 companies from Suzuki’s automobile supply chain, 24 new suppliers showed interest in setting up quickly near Suzuki’s plant at Hansalpur. With Suzuki set to double its Gujarat production, this will strengthen the state’s automobile ecosystem and create more local jobs.
Strengthening Gujarat’s Key Sectors
As per the Gujarat Government, Sumitomo Chemical’s new unit in Bhavnagar and Tokyo Electron’s project talks will further strengthen Gujarat’s position as India’s semiconductor hub.
Furukawa Electric’s planned Rs 4,500 crore optical fibre cable plant, its first for this product outside Japan, will power India’s growing AI and data centre sector.
Building on Strong India-Japan Ties
As per the release, the Deputy CM said: “When Japanese leaders think of India, they think of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. The warmth and trust he built with Japan, from his days as Gujarat Chief Minister to his deep friendship with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has made Gujarat Japan’s first choice in India. Today, that trust is turning into factories, investment and jobs for Gujarat’s youth, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel ji.”
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