GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat govt has reportedly decided to postpone the 11th edition of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) by a year, from Jan 2026 to Jan 2027, due to various strategic considerations. The year 2027 will also be an assembly election year in the state.
Although the state govt made a budgetary allocation of Rs 175 crore in the 2025-26 budget for the industries and mines department to prepare for the business and investor summit, top sources in the state govt said, “The govt has almost made up its mind to organise the summit in Jan 2027 instead of Jan 2026.”
Key sources close to the development said that several considerations are being taken into account while making a final decision on whether the summit will be postponed by a year.
“The state govt has planned to organise various regional rounds of the mini Vibrant Gujarat summits in the 2025-26 financial year. These mini summits will act as precursors for the main event in Jan 2027,” sources informed.”The state govt will organise zone-wise mini Vibrant Gujarat summits in 2025-26 and is also expected to organise promotional events in other states before the main vibrant summit in Jan 2027. The state govt is keen to focus on many long-term aspects to attract global industries to Gujarat and is working on many important policies, so organising the summit in Jan 2027 seems more advisable,” revealed sources.
According to sources, the goodwill and economic vibrancy created by organising the VGGS in Jan 2027 may assist the BJP in the assembly election, which will be held later that year. “BJP will face a crucial assembly election in 2027, and going into the election with the success of the VGGS will be a politically prudent move,” said an observer of Gujarat’s politics and bureaucracy.
Sources in BJP further said that local body elections are due by the end of this year when municipal corporations and other local bodies will go to the polls. “Elected representatives and leaders will be busy with elections, and keeping all these considerations in mind, the option of organising the VGGS in Jan 2027 is being considered actively,” said a source.
The biennial business and investor summit, which began in 2003, was not held for a period of five years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last edition of the VGGS was in Jan 2024.