Gujarat and the DMIC

The Vibrant Gujarat global investors’ meet slated for January 2009 may as well be called ‘Vibrant Gujarat DMIC 2009’ meet. Going by the material which is being prepared to woo the investors, the state government is banking heavily on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), as it prepares to send teams of politicians and bureaucrats to other parts of the country and abroad to promote investments during this biennial event. Almost 40 per cent of the 1,483-km corridor that is being developed with Japanese aid falls in Gujarat. The corridor is a band of 150 kms on either side of the dedicated freight corridor between Mumbai and Delhi which is expected to see the highest industrial growth in the coming years.Earlier versions of Vibrant Gujarat in 2003, 2005 and 2007, had proposed investments in projects in scattered geographical areas across different sectors. But, DMIC has provided the framework for holistic infrastructure and industrial development with a potential, according to government officials, to attract investments worth billions of dollars to Gujarat.Minister of state for industries Saurabh Dalal says, “Gujarat will take a giant leap in industrial development with the DMIC. It will give a boost to port-led development, given the locational advantage of Gujarat.” “DMIC and Gujarat share a mutually enriching relationship, it is a win-win situation for both. Our ports are integral to the project for providing connectivity for markets in the hinterland. Investors are showing a lot of interest in the project,” says industries commissioner Gauri Kumar, who is headed for the World Economic Forum meet at Tianjing, China, on September 26-28 to promote Vibrant Gujarat. Managing director of GIDC Maheshwar Sahu said, “Now that DMIC’s integrated investment regions (IRs) and industrial areas (IAs) have been identified, the blueprint of the project will be placed before potential investors during Vibrant Gujarat celebrations