Gujarat CM Meets Tech Leaders from Micron, Google, and Perplexity on US Tour

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met with senior leaders from major global technology companies, including Micron, Google, and Perplexity AI, during the third day of his US visit. The meetings are part of the state's ongoing outreach ahead of the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027.

During his visit, Patel held discussions with Micron Chairman and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Google Vice President Chandu Thota, and Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. The talks centered on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, skilling initiatives, and potential investments within the state.

At Micron, CEO Sanjay Mehrotra expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for the state government's swift approval of 20 acres of land for the company's Sanand facility. The Micron chief also acknowledged the administration's efforts to facilitate the early commencement of commercial production at the unit. Additionally, the Sanand semiconductor plant recently received the Gujarat government's first approval for a 12-hour work shift.

During the meeting with Google, the visiting delegation explored potential collaborations across several domains. Google Vice President Chandu Thota expressed interest in partnering with the state on youth skilling, AI training programs for teachers and students, and implementing artificial intelligence applications in agriculture. Discussions specifically covered utilizing AI for analyzing crop patterns, soil data, and climate information. Furthermore, both parties discussed data security and the adoption of Google Workspace Sovereign AI to address data governance requirements.

In a separate one-on-one interaction, Chief Minister Patel met with Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. The conversation focused on bringing the AI search company's engineering and research-and-development operations to Gujarat, along with exploring the establishment of a local data centre or a hybrid arrangement involving developers.

Patel also engaged with members of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) of Silicon Valley. Discussions with TiE centered on potential collaborations in healthcare, the training of healthcare workers, and youth skilling initiatives utilizing AI tools.

These high-level meetings underline Gujarat's broader economic strategy to diversify beyond its traditional industrial base. By actively courting investments in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data centres, and emerging technologies, the state aims to position itself as a key technology hub ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027.

"The proactive engagement by the Gujarat government with global technology giants like Micron, Google, and Perplexity AI highlights a strategic shift toward establishing the state as a serious hub for semiconductors and emerging technologies. Securing foundational infrastructure projects and fostering public-private partnerships in areas such as AI and skilling are critical steps for regional economic growth. As states increasingly compete to attract high-value technology investments ahead of major economic summits, building a robust ecosystem with streamlined administrative approvals will remain a key differentiator for long-term business success in India." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes