Budget 2026: What’s in store for Gujarat: Freight Corridor linking Surat & Bengal, development of archaeological sites in Lothal, Dholavira

Another Gujarat-specific proposal is related to the upgrade of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar. The Finance Minister, in her speech, said the upgrade has been proposed to bolster evidence-based research, training and awareness for traditional medicine. Earlier, in this context, she said that post-Covid, Indian Yoga and Ayurveda gained “global acceptance and recognition.”

Sitharaman also proposed that 15 archeological sites would be developed in the country, with two of these in Gujarat – Lothal and Dholavira. The FM said in her speech, “I propose to develop 15 archaeological sites including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur, and Leh Palace into vibrant, experiential cultural destinations. Excavated landscapes will be opened to the public through curated walkways. Immersive storytelling skills and technologies will be introduced to help conservation labs, interpretation centres, and guides.”

Lothal is situated in Ahmedabad district and is one of the sites of Indus Valley civilisation in the state. It is also considered the oldest dock in the world. The government is building a National Maritime Heritage Complex at the site.

Dholavira is a Harappan-era site located in Kutch. It has received the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag. It is also the first site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to get the tag.

According to an government statement issued later on Sunday, CM Patel, while welcoming the future benefits to Gujarat in the Budget, said, “The inclusion of Lothal and Dholavira in the country’s archaeological heritage cluster tourism development will realise the approach of ‘Virasat bhi Vikas bhi ’ in Gujarat through tourism. With the scheme to prepare 10,000 tourist guides for 20 iconic tourist destinations across the country, employment opportunities at Gujarat’s iconic tourist places will also increase.”

The CM added, “The announcement to connect Surat with Dankuni in eastern India through the Dedicated Freight Corridor will prove to be a ‘masterstroke’ in the direction of reducing logistics costs. South Gujarat’s industry will now have ‘high-speed’ connectivity to trade with eastern India, which will give unprecedented momentum to the state’s trade and economy. In addition, the announcement to create 20 new National Waterways will further strengthen connectivity through water routes in the country.”

He also said that, “This is an incentive-oriented budget for everyone, from MSMEs to large industries. Special focus has been placed on sectors such as infrastructure, industries, cutting-edge technology, semiconductors, and data centres, and emphasis on MSMEs will greatly benefit small and micro industries…the incentives announced for manufacturing industries will boost Gujarat’s manufacturing sector, while around six schemes aimed at energising the textile sector will benefit the state’s textile industry.”

CM Patel also said that the announcement of three chemical parks and an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore for biopharma industries will also benefit industries in these sectors in Gujarat.

In the Budget, the FM has proposed an incentive of Rs 100 crore for a single bond issuance of more than Rs 1,000 crore to encourage the issuance of municipal bonds of higher value by large cities. Referring to this, the CM said, “Strengthening the municipal bond market is a commendable step by the central government. The incentives announced for municipal bonds in this Budget will also benefit Gujarat’s municipalities.”

Meanwhile, as the FM presented the budget, several Gujarat BJP leaders and others viewed the speech live on a screen at the party’s headquarters Shree Kamalam in Gandhinagar. Those present at the screening session included state president Jagdish Vishvakarma, state ministers Rushikesh Patel, Darshana Vaghela and Pravin Mali along with a number of chartered accountants, doctors and industrialists.