The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project will help improve the partnership between Gujarat and Mumbai at the “social level”, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said. Gujarat and Mumbai are important pillars of the Indian economy, and ongoing infrastructure projects where the two have partnered will help both, he said.
Speaking at an investor roadshow here ahead of the tenth 'Vibrant Gujarat' summit here, Patel said while Mumbai is the financial capital of the country, Gujarat has become the most preferred investment destination. The bullet train project will help infrastructure development and economic activities, but also improve the partnership on the social level, Patel said in comments that come amid some instances showing a lack of warmth between Marathi and Gujarati-speaking communities in the financial capital.
Recently, workers from the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena allegedly vandalised Gujarati posters in suburban Ghatkopar, which has a sizable Gujarati-speaking population. When completed, the over Rs 1.67 lakh crore, high-speed rail between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will reduce the travel time to two hours and seven minutes.
Patel also mentioned the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project –38 per cent of which passes through his state – as another project which will benefit companies both in Gujarat and Mumbai by helping with logistics. He hoped that the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat summit scheduled to be held between January 10-12, 2024 will strengthen the partnership between Gujarat and Maharashtra.