With World's Largest Refinery And Thriving Petrochemical Complexes, Gujarat Emerges As 'Petro Capital' Of India

In a significant development, Gujarat has solidified its position as the 'petro capital' of India, boasting the world's largest grassroots oil refinery in Jamnagar and a flourishing petrochemical complex at Dahej in Bharuch district.

The Jamnagar refinery complex, as per Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) official website, hosts some of the world's largest units, including the fluidised catalytic cracker, coker, alkylation, paraxylene, polypropylene, refinery off-gas cracker, and petcoke gasification plants.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel recently emphasised the impact of the state's petrochemical sector, stating, "Industrial development is an important means to realise the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chemical and petrochemical sector's sustainable growth has surpassed all (other states)."

During the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs 3,000 crore was signed for a bio-refinery in the Dahej Petroleum, Chemicals, and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR), followed by a Rs 7,000 crore MoU in 2022 for chemical manufacturing in Dahej.

The upcoming tenth edition of the VGGS, themed 'Gateway to the Future,' is scheduled to take place in Gandhinagar between 10 and 12 January next year.

With companies like Reliance, Shell, ONGC, and others already established in Gujarat, experts foresee the state becoming unparalleled in the chemicals and petrochemicals sector.

Also, the Petroleum, Chemicals, and Petrochemicals Investment Region at Dahej spans 452.98 square km and hosts ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL), one of South Asia's largest petrochemical complexes.

OPaL's capacity includes producing 14 lakh tons of polymers and 5 lakh tons of chemicals.

The region also accommodates facilities of major players like BASF, ONGC, RIL, Welspun, Pidilite, and GNFC, cementing Gujarat's role as a pivotal hub in India's petrochemical landscape.