Gandhinagar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, underscoring Gujarat’s role in India’s clean energy transition.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, along with other senior officials and industry representatives, were present at the event.

The two-day conference will focus on Gujarat’s leadership in renewable and clean energy and its alignment with India’s ‘Panchamrit’ climate commitments announced by the Prime Minister. These include achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, sourcing 50 per cent of energy needs from renewables, reducing projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes, cutting carbon intensity by 45 per cent by 2030, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

As part of the VGRC, the state’s Energy and Petrochemicals Department will lead a series of high-level discussions, seminars and panel sessions outlining Gujarat’s renewable energy roadmap. Under Mission 100 GW (Shapath Patra), Gujarat has committed to achieving more than 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, positioning itself as a key driver of India’s energy transition.

The first day of the conference features a CEO Roundtable titled ‘Ocean of Opportunities – Blue Energy, Green Future’, focusing on nearshore wind and blue energy potential. Other sessions include a Green Startups Fireside Chat, ‘Carbon to Crops: Greener Molecules, Greater Yields’, and discussions on Gujarat’s role as India’s energy gateway in the oil and gas sector. An exhibition-cum-trade show is also showcasing innovations in daytime power for agriculture, renewable energy connectivity and initiatives under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

The second day will open with the flagship programme ‘Solar Dividends: Empowerment through PM-KUSUM & PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’, highlighting Gujarat’s achievements in decentralised solar adoption. The day will also see the release of a compendium of best practices by GUVNL and its subsidiaries, the signing of memoranda of understanding, and the felicitation of beneficiaries, vendors and power sector employees.

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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi participated in the Somnath Swabhiman Mahotsav Parv and offered prayers at the Somnath Temple, revered as the first of the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.