Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launches Miyawaki forest, Green Oxygen Park in Bharuch

2 min readVadodaraJun 17, 2026 08:06 PM IST

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) marked its golden jubilee on Wednesday in Bharuch, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurating four new facilities at the event: a Miyawaki forest, a Namo Vad Van, a Green Oxygen Park and the upgraded Narmadanagar Community Science Centre (NCSC).

The CM also unveiled a commemorative coffee table book documenting GNFC’s five-decade journey, followed by an audio-visual presentation of the company’s milestones, a statement said.

In his address, Patel described GNFC as a dual-purpose enterprise that simultaneously supports Indian agriculture through fertilizers and drives industrial growth through chemicals. He praised the company’s Neem-Coated Urea initiative, which he said curbed urea black-marketing while generating employment for over 4.5 lakh rural women. The programme has received recognition from the United Nations Development Programme.

Patel spoke about aligning GNFC’s next phase within Gujarat’s broader industrial policy framework, pointing to planned expansions in green technology, renewable energy, and production diversification as aligned with the national “Viksit Bharat 2047” blueprint. The company has also announced a “50 Developed Villages: Vision 2047” programme targeting holistic rural development across Bharuch and Vagra talukas. Founded in 1976 as a joint venture between the Government of Gujarat and GSFC, GNFC has grown into one of India’s significant fertilizer and industrial chemicals manufacturers.

GNFC Chairman Manojkumar Das spoke about the company’s balance between profitability and social responsibility, while Managing Director Rajkumar Beniwal outlined the road ahead, focused on sustainability, product diversification, and global competitiveness. Beniwal credited employees, farmers and stakeholders for sustaining the company through five decades of industrial cycles, said the statement.

The Miyawaki forest, developed near the corporate office, spans 22,000 square metres and houses over one lakh trees from 92 indigenous species. The upgraded Science Centre features robotics labs, 3D printing facilities, chemical laboratories, and an astronomy club aimed at strengthening STEM education for students in the region.