Gujarat SEZ Exports Rise 67% In A Decade, Account For 21% Of India’s Total
Gujarat’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have recorded significant growth in exports, investments and employment over the past decade, with officials highlighting the state’s role in India’s expanding trade ecosystem and its plans to strengthen advanced manufacturing and innovation.Speaking at an event in Ahmedabad on trade and industrial development, Additional Secretary Ajay Bhadoo said India’s exports have nearly doubled over the last ten years, rising from around Rs 37.9 lakh crore (USD 441 billion) to Rs 74.2 lakh crore (USD 863 billion). He said sectors such as engineering goods, petroleum products, electronics, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, and chemicals have driven this growth. At the same time, Gujarat has emerged as a major contributor with exports worth about Rs 9.46 lakh crore.
Bhadoo said the Centre has introduced several initiatives to improve ease of doing business and facilitate trade, including Trade Connect, the Trade Intelligence and Analytics (TIA) Portal and the Merchandise Imports Monitoring Portal (MIMP). He added that India’s trade agreements with countries and regions, including Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and New Zealand, have opened new opportunities for exporters.
He also highlighted the recently launched Export Promotion Mission, which has an outlay of Rs 25,600 crore for the period from FY2025-26 to FY2030-31 and aims to strengthen the export ecosystem, support MSMEs and deepen India’s integration with global value chains.
Zonal Development Commissioner Dnyaneshwar B Patil said Gujarat’s SEZs have become important centres for investment, employment and exports. According to official data, exports from Gujarat’s SEZs increased from Rs 1.8 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 3 lakh crore in 2025-26, representing growth of nearly 67 per cent. Gujarat accounts for around 21 per cent of India’s total SEZ exports.
Investment in Gujarat SEZs rose from Rs 1.22 lakh crore to Rs 2.28 lakh crore during the same period, while employment expanded from 63,475 to more than 2.22 lakh jobs. Patil said SEZs have supported the goals of Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
He also pointed to Gujarat’s emergence as a high-technology manufacturing destination, noting that four semiconductor SEZ projects involving CG Semi Technologies, Kaynes Semicon, Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing and Micron Technology have been notified in the state. Officials said efforts would focus on maintaining positive Net Foreign Exchange status across SEZ units and achieving annual growth targets of 20 per cent in exports and 10 per cent in employment.
Separate data on Gujarat’s industrial performance show that the number of factories in the state rose from 22,876 in FY2013-14 to 33,311 in FY2023-24, while total industrial output increased from Rs 12.31 lakh crore to Rs 26.39 lakh crore. Employment nearly doubled to 25.6 lakh people and merchandise exports climbed to Rs 9.77 lakh crore in FY2025-26.
Earlier this week, the Gujarat government unveiled the Viksit Gujarat Industrial Policy 2026, targeting Rs 10 lakh crore of investments over the next five years and supporting the state’s long-term ambition of becoming a USD 3.5 trillion economy by 2047. The policy identifies 21 priority sectors and introduces a “Choose Your Incentive” framework, allowing investors to select combinations of capital subsidies, interest subsidies and power tariff reimbursements based on project requirements.
The policy also proposes enhanced support for research and development, green infrastructure, startups, women entrepreneurs, skill development and balanced regional growth, as the state seeks to strengthen its position as a global manufacturing and innovation hub.
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