Mr. KURIHARA Toshihiko, Chief Representative of JBIC Representative Office in New Delhi
The status of power generation is constantly monitored at the administration building in the industrial park 
The total area is 920 square kilometers, which is larger than Singapore 
The drainage treatment system has enabled full recycling of discharged water in the area 
Panel discussionOn January 10, 2024, Mr. KURIHARA Toshihiko, Chief Representative of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Representative Office in New Delhi participated as a speaker in Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 held in a western Indian state of Gujarat.
This event has been held every two years since 2003 by the government of the state of Gujarat, in which Prime Minister Modi was born, and is one of the largest investment promotion events in India. Participants in this summit included Prime Minister Modi and political and business dignitaries from more than 130 countries, including President of the United Arab Emirates as the guest of honor, as well as major companies from Japan and around the world. The event consisted of sympodiums, seminars, and business meetings related to its key themes such as smart city, renewable energy, and startups.
JBIC, along with the government of India, holds a share of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), which supports the development of industrial corridors throughout India, thereby assisting the Japan-India collaboration through the construction of industrial parks in India. The state of Gujarat has Dholera Industrial Area, the most critical area in the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor project promoted by NICDC. The Gujarat state government offers its own preferential treatment to attract investment, with a policy set up to make the industrial park a hub for semiconductor industry, one of the top priority sectors of the Indian government. At the event, Dholera Industrial Area, which is focused on by the national government, gained attention from both public and private sectors. There were many booths and events to introduce Dholera, and also, Mr. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Group, announced its plan to establish a semiconductor manufacturing factory in the area.
Mr. KURIHARA, who also serves as Director of the Board of NICDC, participated in a panel discussion themed “Dholera: India’s First Semicon City in Making.” He stated in the session that, in Gujarat, the collaboration between Japan and India has advanced the initiative shared by the governments of India and State of Gujarat to make a hub for semiconductor and electronics. He also expressed his expectation that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will be even tighter through the entry of Japanese companies with an abundance of business knowledge and experience into Dholera Industrial Area.
Furthermore, in the Q&A session with participants, he mentioned that both the central and the state government will be required to provide further supports to the entire supply chain as well as to various players including small- and medium-sized enterprises, in order to establish an innovation ecosystem in the high-tech industry in Dholera. The event offered a valuable opportunity for networking and exchanging views, which will lead to strengthened bilateral ties in various sectors including semiconductor.
As Japan's policy-based financial institution, JBIC will continue to work closely with foreign governments and provide support for Japanese companies to create business opportunities and promote business, thereby contributing toward the further development of economic relations with the countries concerned.