Dholera SIR Draws Global Investors, NRIs as India’s Semiconductor Hub

17 Mar 2025 CW Team

Dholera SIR, India’s first planned smart city, is witnessing a surge in investor interest, particularly from NRIs in the USA, UK, UAE, Singapore, and Hong Kong. This momentum is fuelled by Dholera’s emergence as India’s semiconductor hub, with four of the five upcoming semiconductor plants being built in the region.

Lalit Parihar, MD, Aaiji Group, noted a sharp rise in international investor visits and land inquiries over the past year, calling it unprecedented. The Gujarat government has allocated Rs 2 billion (bn) for an integrated township and Rs 1 bn for the Gujarat Institute of Technology (GIT) to support the region’s growth in green energy,

semiconductors, fintech, and aerospace.

Key infrastructure projects, including the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, Bhimnath-Dholera rail line, and an international cargo airport, are set to boost connectivity. With over 100 companies, including Tata Electronics’ Rs 910 bn semiconductor project, Dholera is poised to lead Gujarat’s next industrial revolution.

Infrastructure Transport

06 Feb 2026

Second Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough in Palghar Advances High Speed Rail

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail (MAHSR) project reached a milestone with the breakthrough of a mountain tunnel in Palghar, Maharashtra. Mountain tunnel MT-six measures 454 metres long and 14.4 metres wide and will accommodate up and down tracks. The breakthrough follows MT-five near Saphale on second January 2026 and the MT-six excavation was completed from both ends using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. The ministry reported that the tunnelling was completed within 12 months. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method is favoured for its flexibility in complex geology and irregular tunnel s..

Modi Government Pushes Atmanirbhar Container Drive With BCSL MoU

The Union Government advanced a plan to create an integrated, domestically anchored container ecosystem with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL). The MoU was signed by key agencies including the Shipping Corporation of India and Container Corporation of India alongside major port authorities and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in the presence of senior ministers. The initiative aligns with the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme announced in the Union Budget 2026–2..

Ministry Reports Gains In Mobility For Marginalised Communities

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing skill development, education and rehabilitation schemes to promote socio-economic mobility and sustainable livelihoods for marginalised and disadvantaged communities across the country. Programmes target Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis through specialised implementing corporations and empanelled training institutes. Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana, or PM-DAKSH, provided skill training and placement support through the Nati..