Gujarat's Dholera SIR, India's first planned smart city, draws increased interest from international investors and NRIs, particularly from the USA, UK, Singapore, UAE, Dubai, and Hong Kong. In recent months, there has been a rise in investor visits and land inquiries fueled by Dholera's vision to become India's semiconductor hub, with four of the five semiconductor plants in India being built in Dholera.
With world-class infrastructure, strategic location, and government support, Dholera is emerging as a prime destination for global investments. The growing demand highlights investor confidence in Dholera's potential to become a key player in India's semiconductor and technology ecosystem, further boosting its appeal as a future-ready smart city.
Lalit Parihar, Founder and Managing Director Aaiji Group - Dholera-based developer, said, "Over the past 6–12 months, investor interest in Dholera has surged significantly across India and internationally. While regions like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida have traditionally been key investment hubs, there is a growing influx of overseas investors, particularly NRIs from the US, UK, UAE-Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In recent months, there has been a remarkable rise in personal visits by international investors, marking an unprecedented level of engagement. Having been active in Dholera for nearly a decade, we have never witnessed such momentum, further reinforcing its immense future potential."
In its 2025-26 budget, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs 200 crore for an integrated residential township with facilities like a hospital, school, and fire station at Dholera SIR. Additionally, Rs 100 crore has been earmarked to establish the Gujarat Institute of Technology (GIT), modelled after IITs, to equip students with skills in Green Energy, Semiconductors, Fintech, and Aerospace, preparing them for emerging opportunities.
Due to the state's lead in announcing an electronics and semiconductor manufacturing policy, four of the five semiconductor plants being set up in India were being constructed at Dholera. The state will now focus on building social infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, cafeterias, food courts, and other buildings around industrial areas.
"In the past, we were seeing fresh investments to the tune of Rs 2,000 – 3,000 crore in land and plots in Dholera, mostly from – Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida which are expected to rise multi-fold post all these developments. Aaiji Group has already invested over Rs. 100 crore across its five projects and will launch a Rs. 200 crore joint venture with Infinity Infracon. Drawing parallels to the Dubai-Abu Dhabi-Sharjah tri-city model, Dholera presents lucrative ROI opportunities for early-stage investors," said Lalit Parihar.
With major infrastructure projects such as the international cargo airport, the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway is set to commence operations in 2025, and it is expected to give further flips to the infrastructure development in Dholera. The 109-kilometre expressway linking Ahmedabad with the smart city of Dholera is progressing rapidly, and the Bhimnath-Dholera Broad gauge rail line and Vande Metro are expected to enhance the connectivity further.
