Knowledge cities planned for Gujarat

As the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit focuses on education in a big way, Gujarat is set to get two knowledge cities — one in Ahmedabad-Dholera special investment region (SIR) and the other in Surat-Navsari industrial area. The move comes in the wake of realisation that the state lacks in technical education institutions, required to meet the human resource demand being generated by the big leap the state is taking in the industrial sector, fuelled by Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor. Sources say, compared to neighbouring Maharashtra, the situation in Gujarat is abysmal in terms of its inventory of knowledge based infrastructure. The knowledge city in the Ahmedabad-Dhorea SIR will have skill development centre to support auto components, IT and IT-enabled services, biotechnology sectors and offer training and courses in maritime and ship engineering.The Surat-Navsari industrial area knowledge city proposes to have skill development centres for chemicals, maritime industry, IT and IT enabled services, biotechnology and gems and jewellery industry. A study of states falling under DMIC influence area by IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation (IIDC) had asked for investment to be undertaken in human resource development to support growing demand for skilled labour. The state’s industrial policy announced also speaks about the gap in the demand-supply scenario. Knowledge cities aim at creating knowledge-based industries to provide for trained manpower near the place of activity and away from metropolitan area. The knowledge city will be planned and developed with a residential facility, providing quality education, training, research in diverse fields. It will provide researchers with world class facilities, a pool of well-trained graduates giving them the chance of collaborating with people working in similar area.