Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi led a state delegation to Tokyo on Tuesday for 20 meetings and two roundtable discussions aimed at attracting Japanese investment in automobiles, semiconductors, clean energy, chemicals and other sectors ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit scheduled for January 2027.
The delegation met Japanese government officials and representatives of major companies including Suzuki Motor Corporation, JERA, Tokyo Electron, Sumitomo Chemical, Furukawa Electric and Marubeni Corporation, according to a Gujarat government release reported by The Hindu BusinessLine. The discussions covered potential investments, technology partnerships and industrial expansion in the state.
The meetings placed the automobile sector among the delegation’s key priorities. During discussions with Suzuki Motor Corporation president Toshihiro Suzuki, the two sides examined the expansion of Gujarat’s automobile ecosystem, including electric vehicles and the development of vendor parks. A separate roundtable was held with Suzuki’s vendors.
Clean energy and power generation were discussed during a meeting between the delegation and JERA chief executive Izumi Kai. The talks also covered projects linked to the green transition. The government release did not disclose specific project sizes, investment amounts or implementation timelines for the proposals discussed in Tokyo.
Semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains were another focus of the visit. Talks with Tokyo Electron chairman Takeshi Okubo addressed semiconductor manufacturing, equipment supply chains and possible investments in Gujarat’s semiconductor sector. The engagement is relevant to the state’s effort to build a wider industrial ecosystem around advanced manufacturing, although no specific commitment was announced in the release.
The delegation also discussed specialty chemicals and petrochemicals with Sumitomo Chemical president Nobuaki Mito. Meetings with Furukawa Electric covered possible investments in fibre optics, telecommunications infrastructure and advanced materials, while discussions with Marubeni Corporation focused on global supply chains and trading opportunities.
The outreach extended to textiles and manufacturing. The delegation met representatives of Moririn, Honda Motor, Kyowa Leather, Nissei Plastic Industrial and JFE Steel, among others. It also held discussions with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, MUFG Bank and SMBC. The state government invited Japanese companies to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
The visit included government-to-government meetings. Sanghavi met Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasutaka Nakasone to discuss India-Japan relations, Gujarat-Japan ties, trade, investment and capacity building. A meeting with Iwate Prefecture governor Takuya Tasso covered regional development, industrial policy and cooperation in capacity building.
The delegation also met Kazushige Tanaka, director general at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Those discussions focused on increasing bilateral trade, promoting investments and strengthening policy cooperation. The next major public milestone identified in the state government’s outreach is the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2027, where Japanese companies have been invited to participate.
