Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 21 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held one-to-one meetings with leaders from various sectors in New York on the fifth day of his US visit ahead of Vibrant Summit 2027, with discussions focusing on AI strategies, asset management, ETFs, GIFT City and nuclear technology
As part of these meetings, Patel held discussions with Xerxes Cooper, Global Head of Delivery at Kyndryl, one of the world's largest IT infrastructure service providers.
During the meeting, Cooper expressed interest in collaborating with the state government on AI strategies, skilling and knowledge-sharing for students and startups, and mentorship.
Patel highlighted that Gujarat is emerging as a preferred investment destination for next-generation sectors such as semiconductors, electronics, digital infrastructure, AI, data centres and advanced manufacturing.
He also briefed Cooper on Gujarat's role as a growth engine and production hub across various sectors and extended an invitation to participate in the Vibrant Summit to be held in January 2027.
Patel also held a one-to-one meeting with Samara Cohen, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Development at BlackRock, a global leader in asset management and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).
Headquartered in New York and established in 1998, BlackRock operates in more than 100 countries. Cohen briefed Patel on BlackRock's expertise in asset management, digital investment platforms, risk management and infrastructure investment, making it a potential partner for India's growing economy.
Patel held detailed discussions on GIFT City in Gujarat, established under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and its financial ecosystem as an international Fintech hub. He also highlighted the presence of several US-headquartered Fintech companies and banks operating from GIFT City.
Highlighting GIFT City's potential to become a global hub for ETFs and asset management, the Chief Minister invited BlackRock to expand its services in GIFT City and participate in the upcoming Vibrant Summit.
As part of his one-to-one meetings, Patel also met with the CEO of Holtec International. Established in South Jersey in 1986, Holtec International primarily provides fuel storage solutions for nuclear power plants.
Holtec has established a precision fabrication facility in Gujarat to meet the growing demand for air-cooled condensers and expanded the facility in 2025. The company has also expressed interest in setting up a manufacturing facility for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and a research and development centre in Gujarat.
Patel outlined to Holtec during the meeting that the state government has identified nuclear power equipment, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as a thrust area under the recently announced Industrial Policy-2026.
The meeting also included discussions on how Holtec International's partnership with Gujarat could further strengthen the state's nuclear technology and production ecosystem.
Chief Secretary M K Das and senior secretaries from the Gujarat delegation were present at the one-to-one meetings.