SGCCI, Mumbai BIA Sign MoU to Boost Gujarat-Maharashtra Trade

SURAT/MUMBAI: A new business corridor between South Gujarat and Maharashtra took shape on Tuesday as the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based Bombay Industries Association (BIA) to deepen trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two regions.

The agreement was formally exchanged during the SGCCI Business Delegation to Mumbai conference held at The Club in Andheri (West) on October 6. The event brought together prominent industrialists and business leaders from Mumbai and South Gujarat.

SGCCI president Ashok Jirawala and BIA president Rajesh Doshi were among the key office-bearers present during the signing.

Calling the partnership a significant step for both business centres, Jirawala said, “Today’s meeting is no ordinary encounter; rather, it marks a moment where two great industrial forces are uniting—combining their strengths to achieve far greater impact—to contribute to national development.”

Jirawala said Mumbai and Surat should not be viewed as rivals but as complementary economic centres.

“If Mumbai represents finance, global connectivity, and a massive market, then Surat is a powerhouse of manufacturing prowess, entrepreneurship, and hard work. Where Mumbai possesses strength, Surat possesses capability; and when strength and capability join hands, competition is left behind, and progress alone emerges,” he said.

Under the partnership, both organisations plan to promote business delegations, one-on-one meetings, industrial visits and knowledge-sharing programmes to turn the MoU into sustained commercial cooperation.

Jirawala also credited SGCCI’s Punit Gajera and BIA’s Nayan Bheda for helping establish the partnership.

The business session featured networking, fireside discussions and knowledge-sharing among entrepreneurs. The programme concluded with a Navratri celebration attended by members and their families.

SGCCI vice-president Ravi Raj Desai, honorary secretary Paresh Lathiya and members of both organisations were also present.