Hyogo–Gujarat Marks 10 Years of Sister-State Partnership with Year-Long Celebrations
Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture and Gujarat renew their commitment to deepen business, industrial and people-to-people ties as a 26-member Japanese delegation visits Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: The Honorary Consulate of Japan in Ahmedabad hosted a landmark event today to officially launch the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Hyogo-Gujarat sister state partnership, alongside an exclusive interactive session with a high-powered business delegation from Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture.
The 26 member high-level delegation comprised of leading corporates from the Hyogo Industrial Association, Hyogo Prefectural Government and JETRO Kobe. Prominent Japanese companies included Kobe Steel Ltd., Sysmex Asia Pacific, Fuji Data Systems, Cobelco Research, Kanai Holdings, Shimizu Machine Design, Maruichi Corporation and Mitsui Seiki, among others.
A cross-section of Gujarat’s business leaders actively participated, including JETRO Ahmedabad, FICCI Gujarat Council, Gujarat Chamber and Ahmedabad Management Association.
Mukesh Patel, Honorary Consul of Japan in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, delivered the welcome address, recalling the historic signing of the partnership in 2016 in the august presence of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. He reflected on a decade of people-to-people and business-to-business ties between Gujarat and Hyogo, recalling multiple goodwill delegations over the years. He also highlighted the upcoming visit of the Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi to Japan later this month for promotion of Vibrant Gujarat.
In his keynote address, K.C. Sampat, Managing Director of iNDEXTb, Government of Gujarat, highlighted that the state is entering a new era of ‘Viksit Gujarat.’ He noted that Japan was the first partner country in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in 2009. Since then, shared cultural values and an entrepreneurial spirit have played a pivotal role in strengthening Indo-Japanese relations and driving mutual economic prosperity.
He noted that today, Gujarat hosts over 350 Japanese companies, with more establishing operations in Dholera, Khoraj, and Mandal, particularly within the emerging semiconductor sector. He emphasized that this bilateral relationship extends beyond financial investments, as strong cultural ties and a supportive industrial ecosystem continue to attract businesses from Hyogo Prefecture.
A special highlight was the ceremonial unveiling of the official 10th anniversary logo by the Japanese delegation and Gujarat dignitaries, symbolizing renewed commitment for the next decade.
On behalf of the visiting delegation, Toshiya Miyake, President of the Hyogo Industrial Association, and Vice President Hiroaki Kanai conveyed their appreciation for Gujarat’s warm hospitality and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening industrial cooperation. Greetings were also delivered by Ms. Emi Teshima, Director General, JETRO Kobe, and Jun Takahashi, Director General, JETRO Ahmedabad. A presentation on Hyogo’s industrial strengths was made by Nobutaka Azuma of the Hyogo Prefectural Government.
Promotional films on Vibrant Gujarat and the 10th Anniversary Hyogo-Gujarat Partnership were screened, followed by the official unveiling of the 10th Anniversary Logo by the dignitaries.
Hiroaki Kanai (Vice President, HIA / President, Kanai Holdings Co.) presented the concluding remarks and Yatindra Sharma (Chairman, Indo-Japanese Economic Cooperation Council) presented the vote of thanks.
