Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney visited Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and Gujarat Biotechnology University in Gandhinagar on Friday, exploring opportunities to deepen cooperation in financial services, education, scientific research and clean energy.
Swinney, who is leading an 11-member Scottish delegation on a visit to Gujarat from October 22 to 25, reviewed GIFT City’s financial services and investment ecosystem before meeting students and faculty at Gujarat Biotechnology University.
Discussions also covered collaboration between the university and the University of Edinburgh, of which Swinney is an alumnus.
At GIFT City, the delegation was briefed on the development of the financial and business hub and its infrastructure, including an underground utility tunnel network designed to reduce repeated road excavation for maintenance and upgrades.
The system brings together electricity cables, drinking water pipelines, district cooling pipelines, automated solid waste pipelines and communication and automation cables.
Sewage lines, stormwater drainage and gas pipelines are kept in separate corridors for safety. The network is monitored round the clock through a central control room using Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology.
The system alerts maintenance teams to technical problems, allowing repairs to be undertaken while minimising disruption to traffic and public spaces. GIFT City plans to develop 16 km of utility tunnels.
Of this, 5.5 km is operational, while construction of another 5.5 km is under way. The remaining section is planned for completion in phases.
New buildings are connected to the network through their basements, allowing utilities to be integrated into the city’s infrastructure.
The delegation also examined GIFT City’s range of financial services, investment opportunities and export-related activities. Swinney praised the technology used in the utility tunnels, according to the state government’s account of the visit.
At Gujarat Biotechnology University, Swinney interacted with students and discussed opportunities for cooperation in education, research and life sciences, including the partnership with the University of Edinburgh.
He shared experiences from his time at the Scottish university. Swinney said, “The delegation’s visit reflected Scotland’s commitment to strengthening economic, educational and cultural ties with India.”
He emphasised the importance of exchanging research expertise between universities, particularly in tackling complex global challenges such as cancer.
“Academic and research partnerships could help enrich scientific work and establish a stronger foundation for future relations between the two countries,” he said.
Sports and clean energy also featured in the discussions. Referring to Glasgow’s experience of hosting the Commonwealth Games, Swinney said: “The Games scheduled to be held in Gujarat in 2030 could create another link between Scotland and India through culture and sport.”
He also highlighted opportunities for cooperation in clean energy and wind power, pointing to Gujarat’s extensive coastline in the context of efforts to address climate change.
Professor Rakesh Rawal, Director-in-Charge of Gujarat Biotechnology University, who is also its Dean (Academics) and Head of Medical Biotechnology, attended the university visit.
Steve Hickling, British Deputy High Commissioner for Gujarat and Rajasthan, was also present, along with John Webster, the First Minister’s principal private secretary, and Ross Ingebritsen, senior special adviser, head of communications and official spokesperson for the Scottish Government.
The delegation’s four-day visit is focused on Gujarat’s development initiatives and potential areas for investment and bilateral cooperation.
–IANS
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