On August 6, 2025, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted an on-site inspection of the Sabarmati Ashram Redevelopment Project, accompanied by Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi and I P Gautam, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Trust. The inspection covered restoration of key heritage buildings—Somnath Chhatralaya, Das Ordi, Vanik Parivar Ni Chali, and the Ashram School—as well as infrastructure upgrades like internal roads, drainage, and drinking-water facilities. CM Patel also reviewed visitor amenities such as parking, entrance gates, food court areas, and interactive exhibit spaces highlighting Gandhi’s life and the Salt Satyagraha movement.
The redevelopment project was officially launched by PM Narendra Modi on March 12, 2024—the anniversary of the Dandi March—with a Bhoomi-Vandana ceremony marking its formal inauguration. Falling over approximately 55 acres, the project is estimated at ₹1,200 crore (some reports mention ₹2,000 crore) and consolidates heritage preservation with expanded visitor infrastructure.
Former IAS officer I P Gautam now leads the project’s governing and executive councils. He replaced K Kailashnathan, another trusted bureaucrat, and brings decades of urban infrastructure experience from his city-level roles and within the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation.
The project is considered a central legacy initiative, personally monitored by PM Modi to ensure its vision aligns with Gandhian heritage and global standards.
