Gujarat accounts for 21% of India’s SEZ exports, shipments touch ₹3 lakh crore

Gujarat's Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have witnessed significant growth over the past 12 years, with exports rising 67% from ₹1.79 lakh crore in 2014-15 to ₹3 lakh crore in 2025-26, while employment more than tripled to over 2.22 lakh jobs.

Officials highlighted the state's expanding role in India's export ecosystem during a KASEZ outreach programme held in Ahmedabad.

An outreach programme organised by Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) was held in Ahmedabad to highlight the achievements of Gujarat's Special Economic Zones (SEZs) over the past 12 years and discuss the state's industrial and export growth.

Beyond Kandla SEZ, the Gujarat zone hosts 23 additional SEZs, including private and state-government zones spanning refining, textiles, IT, pharma, engineering, and financial services.

Addressing the gathering in Ahmedabad, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ajay Bhadoo, said India's overall exports have nearly doubled over the last decade, rising from approximately $441 billion to $863 billion.

He attributed the growth to sectors including engineering goods, petroleum products, electronics, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, and chemicals. Gujarat, he noted, has emerged as a significant contributor, accounting for nearly $110 billion in exports.

He highlighted several initiatives aimed at improving ease of doing business and trade facilitation, including Trade Connect, the Trade Intelligence and Analytics (TIA) Portal, and the Merchandise Imports Monitoring Portal (MIMP). He also referred to India's trade agreements with countries such as Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, as well as ongoing engagement with the European Union, which he said have opened new opportunities for exporters.

He further stated that the government has launched the Export Promotion Mission with an outlay of ₹25,600 crore for the period from FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31 to strengthen the export ecosystem, support MSMEs and enhance integration with global value chains.

Zonal Development Commissioner Dnyaneshwar B Patil said SEZs have become important drivers of investment, employment, innovation and exports. 

According to him, exports from Gujarat's SEZs increased from ₹1,79,808 crore in 2014-15 to ₹3,00,793 crore in 2025-26, a growth of nearly 67%. Gujarat currently accounts for around 21% of India's total SEZ exports.

Patil added that investments in Gujarat's SEZs have grown from ₹1,22,654 crore to ₹2,28,624 crore during the same period, while employment has increased from 63,475 to more than 2.22 lakh jobs.

Patil also outlined a roadmap for Gujarat's SEZs, targeting annual growth of 20% in exports and 10% in employment generation. 

He said efforts would be focused on ensuring positive Net Foreign Exchange (NFE) status across SEZ units to strengthen the sector's competitiveness and sustainability. 

According to data cited from the Annual Survey of Industries, the number of factories in the state increased from 22,876 in FY 2013-14 to 33,311 in FY 2023-24.

During the same period, industrial output rose from ₹12.31 lakh crore to ₹26.39 lakh crore, while invested capital increased from ₹5.48 lakh crore to ₹12.66 lakh crore.

Industrial employment also expanded significantly, with the number of persons engaged increasing from 13.7 lakh to 25.6 lakh. Merchandise exports from Gujarat nearly doubled from about ₹4.44 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 to ₹9.77 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

Officials said Gujarat has attracted cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows worth $74.6 billion between April 2000 and March 2026.