Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that after achieving strong growth in manufacturing, engineering and green energy, Gujarat must now enter the top three states in the service sector and position Ahmedabad alongside leading technology hubs of the country.Union home minister Amit Shah addresses the inauguration ceremony of the newly built ‘Million Minds Tech Park’ and ‘GREMI City Campus’, in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (ANI Video Grab)Speaking at the inauguration of the Million Minds Tech Park in Ahmedabad, Shah said the projects mark a step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to expand technology, innovation and high-skill industries in Gujarat.He said Gujarat has led the country in several sectors since independence and will also lead in the field of emerging technologies.“Gujarat has performed exceptionally well across a wide spectrum of sectors: manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, ports, logistics, green energy, industrial infrastructure, and investment. The time has now come to elevate Gujarat to a position among the top three states in the service sector as well,” he said adding that whenever Gujarat steps into a sector with determination, it takes no time at all to secure a spot among the top three, and it will achieve the same success in the IT sector as well.Projects like Million Minds Tech City will create world-class infrastructure and employment opportunities and position Ahmedabad alongside the country’s leading technology destinations, he said.“If we are to rank alongside Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Gurugram, then tech parks like this are essential for Ahmedabad to secure that position,” he added.Shah in his speech said India has emerged as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep technology and that the Centre is promoting robotics, quantum computing, semiconductors, automation, cybersecurity, defence and space technology.He said Gujarat led industrial growth since independence and gained global recognition after 2002 through structured policies, infrastructure development, ease of doing business and entrepreneurship-led growth.The Centre is focusing on tech parks and global capability centres as India shifts towards a services-led, high-skill economy, with such infrastructure aimed at attracting global firms and generating high-value jobs, said Shah.Million Minds Tech Park developed over 13.5 lakh square feet at a cost of about ₹1,100 crore will provide a work environment for 9,000 professionals in its first phase.Also Read:Gujarat bhajan singer gets buried under cash as devotees empty sacks of money on stage“The project will be expanded in seven phases with an estimated investment of ₹15,000 crore and is expected to generate more than 63,000 high-value jobs over the next five years,” according to Shah.Spread across 65 acres, the project has 50% space for commercial use and includes malls, hotels and residential facilities, forming an integrated ecosystem.Shah also inaugurated the Ganesh Real Estate Management Institute campus and said the real estate sector requires structured professional training. The campus will accommodate 300 students initially, while a 100-acre facility near Thol Lake will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore.Shekhar Patel, MD & CEO Ganesh Housing Ltd., and national president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), said, “Million Minds Tech City is fundamentally an economic growth and employment generation story for Gujarat. We are building an ecosystem that will directly and indirectly generate over 70,000 jobs, enable reverse migration of Gujarat’s talent pool, and strengthen Ahmedabad’s position as a serious destination for global corporations and GCCs.”Union minister Shah who is on a two day visit to Gujarat, also inaugurated the Innovation and Incubation Centre at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad on Sunday and said the institute must expand into high-technology sectors such as semiconductor and chip design while helping young designers turn creativity into viable careers.Shah said design was not limited to art but played a role across sectors, including industrial and technical projects. He said India had a strong tradition of design and craftsmanship but its potential needed structured development.He said the objective behind NID was to promote design culture and realise its commercial value. He said many people possessed design skills but could not pursue them due to social and economic constraints, adding that institutions like NID must provide access and support.The new centre will support innovation but stressed the need to guide designers in commercialisation and entrepreneurship, he said. NID should create a separate vertical to connect students with industry and professional opportunities, he added.Shah said “India would fully utilise its design capacity only when creativity and commercial application were aligned, and urged youth to take up design as a profession.”Referring to traditional textile art such as Patan Patola, Shah said “India’s cultural heritage reflected precision and design excellence, and called for greater awareness of design’s practical value.”Union minister Piyush Goyal, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and minister of state Harsh Sanghavi were also present at the events.