India and Japan Boost Partnership with Focus on Dholera Smart Region

In a big step to boost industrial ties, Japan’s Ambassador to India, Mr. Keiichi Ono, led a team of top Japanese companies on a two-day visit to Dholera Special Investment Region (Dholera SIR) in Gujarat. The visit, on July 9–10, 2025, shows Japan’s growing interest in Dholera, a major smart industrial hub under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project.

The visit started in Ahmedabad on July 9 with a conference focused on working together in innovation, green growth, and modern manufacturing. Important speakers included Ms. Kazuko Sakuma from Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Yu Yoshida from JETRO Ahmedabad, and Mona K. Khandhar from the Gujarat government.

Rajat Kumar Saini, head of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, gave the main speech. He spoke about the strong partnership between India and Japan, and how Dholera, inspired by Japan’s Tokyo–Osaka corridor, is becoming a center for future industries.

Ambassador Keiichi Ono praised India’s vision, especially in semiconductor and smart infrastructure, and promised Japan’s support. The day ended with a networking dinner for Japanese and Indian industry leaders.

On July 10, the delegation visited Dholera SIR to see key projects. They toured the water plant, canal front, power station, and the under-construction Tata Electronics semiconductor plant, along with the command-and-control center. They also learned about the Tata-PSMC chip plant, part of India’s huge Rs 1.54 lakh crore Semicon India plan.

The team also looked at future plans for hospitals, schools, hotels, homes, and offices to make Dholera a complete city. As India moves toward its Vision 2047 of becoming a top economy, Dholera stands out as a model for smart growth. Japan’s visit highlights Dholera’s rise as a global spot for advanced manufacturing and smart living.