( Writer’s photo- Meenakshi Sharma)
When comparing Gujarat’s state from a decade ago to today, one can observe the remarkable transformations it has undergone over the past 10 years. While it’s impossible to list all the changes in a single article, we can certainly highlight a few key developments that have contributed to the transformation of Gujarat into a ‘Vibrant Gujarat.’
Today, Gujarat is synonymous with development, signifying its growth in size, strength, and overall quality. Development is a comprehensive term encompassing almost every sector of a state’s progress. It extends beyond industries and infrastructure to include social, economic, educational, health, and welfare sectors, among others. The welfare of its citizens should be every country’s foremost priority. Development in other sectors should follow, as no progress can truly achieve its goals if it does not align with public welfare or, worse, if it negatively impacts people’s lives.
Social Welfare: Women Empowerment Gujarat has given the utmost priority to the ‘aadhi abaadi’ (women population) more than ever. The state is unique in having seen a three-fold increase in women milk cooperatives over the past decade. According to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the state hosts 5,125 dairy cooperative societies managed by women dairy farmers. This is a significant achievement in women’s welfare. Moreover, initiatives like ‘Namo Lakshmi,’ ‘Namo Shree,’ and ‘Vahali Dikri’ have improved the situation for girls and women from backward and impoverished communities in Gujarat.
Health Sector If the citizens are not healthy, development is unattainable. Gujarat believes in holistic healthcare, marked by the establishment of the country’s first WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar and Gujarat’s first AIIMS in Rajkot. The number of medical colleges has risen from 9 in 2001 to over 30 in 2023. In this year’s budget, ₹20,100 crore was allocated to the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Education Gujarat’s education system is a role model for many other states. It excels in both school education and higher education with world-class infrastructure and institutes. The Vidya Samiksha Kendra, launched in 2022, is the country’s first center for real-time, online comprehensive monitoring of school education, backed by the World Bank. After its launch in Gujarat, 14 other states and one Union Territory (UT) have initiated the process to set up similar units.
Renewable Energy Over the past two decades, Gujarat has made tremendous strides in solar and wind energy. The “Surya Gujarat Yojana,” launched in 2019, is a flagship solar energy initiative. The development of the world’s largest RE park of 30 gigawatts in Khavda and a commitment to achieve a capacity of 2 GW off-shore wind tie-up along with 21.8 GWh energy storage by 2030 highlight Gujarat’s advanced measures to scale roof-top and distributed RE integration with the grid.
Water Management The Sujalam Sufalam Initiative has transformed Gujarat, once known as a drought-prone state, into a water-abundant region. This campaign, running for the past seven years with public participation, has created an additional water storage capacity of 11,523 lakh cubic feet. Additionally, Gujarat completed Prime Minister Modi’s dream project, the Nal Se Jal Yojana, 100% in 2022.
Olympics Gujarat is making significant efforts to host the 2029 Youth Olympic Games and the 2036 Olympics. Recent reports suggest the state has acquired about 750 acres in the Manipur-Godhavi-Garodia areas of western Ahmedabad for the proposed Sports, Skill, and Knowledge Corridor. Furthermore, the country is set to inaugurate its first Olympic Studies and Research Centre (OSRC) in Gujarat this year.
Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) Enacted in 2009, the Special Investment Region Act aimed to develop large-scale Investment Regions and Industrial Areas. Dholera SIR is emerging as a visionary Smart Industrial City with world-class infrastructure, strategic positioning, and promising possibilities in sectors such as semiconductors, display, and electronics. Dholera’s transformation is not just infrastructural but a strategic leap towards positioning India as a global economic powerhouse.
Tribal Development Gujarat is home to more than 8.9 million tribal people (2011 census), residing across 14 tribal districts. The state government has ensured their social, educational, and economic upliftment by establishing universities, medical colleges, developing healthcare facilities, and providing land rights. The Vanbandhu Yojana has significantly improved the lives of tribals, with over ₹1.02 lakh crore spent on their welfare from 2007-08 to 2020-21. The second phase of Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana, VKY-II, has an ambitious ₹1 lakh crore budget for 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Ports Gujarat leads in port sector development, with 42 ports, including one major port and 41 non-major ports. The state plans to set up 10 greenfield ports over 25 years. In the last decade, port development has surged in terms of cargo handling and business. Recently, Gujarat’s non-major ports registered a 15% increase in cargo traffic for the first quarter of the financial year 2025, driven primarily by private ports and captive jetties.
Industries Gujarat is India’s most urbanized and industrialized state, contributing almost 8% of the national GDP despite having only 6% of the country’s geographical area and 5% of its population. The economy is dominated by 13 major industry groups, including agro & food processing, dairy, chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles and apparel, engineering and auto, gems and jewelry, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, IT, minerals, ports, power, and tourism.
In conclusion, Gujarat’s journey over the past decade has been marked by significant progress across various sectors, transforming it into a vibrant state with a promising future.
