SEZs for manufacturing and service sectors

SEZs for manufacturing and service sectors
These industrial developments will lead to more organisations setting up base in the city, says Leena Mudbidri


Though the spotlight has primarily been focussed on the IT Special Economic Zones (SEZs) coming up in and around the city, sector-specific SEZ projects are also emerging on the city's landscape. Also known as non-IT SEZs, these multiproduct/multi-services SEZs though limited in number presently, are likely to create multifarious employment and business opportunities in the days to come.
Currently, these sector-specific product SEZs contribute Rs 1,824 crores to the State's exports while hardware and biotechnology (BT) SEZs chip in with Rs 633 crores and Rs 750 crores respectively, according to the State's Major and Medium Industries Minister Murgesh R Nirani. Recently, he had said that the government proposed setting up seven exclusive industrial zones to promote industries in steel, cement, food processing, IT/BT, petrochemicals, automobile and readymade garments, to create more employment opportunities in rural regions.
NON-IT SEZS
According to Satish B N, Director, Occupier Services, DTZ, there are nine non-IT SEZs in Bangalore under different industry segments. These cater to biotech, textiles, hardware, infrastructure, logistics services and aerospace. According to a Cushman & Wakefield analysis, Bangalore is estimated to witness approximately 6.5 million square feet of demand from the biotechnology sector alone upto 2010.
AEROSPACE
The airport-based aerospace SEZ at Devanahalli recently got a formal approval and the investment has been estimated at Rs 3,384 crores with 918 acres of land around the airport exclusively earmarked for this project. The villages that will come within this SEZ are Singalli, Hunusuru and Dummanahalli in Bangalore Urban district and Battaram-aranahalli, Jannahalli, Kowadada- sanahalli, Baladimmanahalli and Betkote village under Bangalore Rural district. Projected to be the nucleus of all aerospace activities in the country, this airport SEZ is expected to attract manufacturing and engineering companies to the city.
BIOTECH
The biotechnology park near Electronic City (captive) in Anekal taluk spreads over 86 acres covering Hebbagodi village. Another biotech unit of Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) in Phase 3, Electronic City (non-captive) is put up across103 acres in Bommasandra village.
TEXTILES
A textile park at Ramanagaram spread over 240 acres covers Doddamannugudde village. Another textile and apparel park on Kanakapura Road which is spread across 400 acres, and covers Harisandra village, is expected to house 50 factories and employ more than 50,000 workers. A garments and fashion accessories manufacturing unit spread over 278 acres is also functional at Ramanagaram.
SERVICES
The Gandhi City for Advanced Research and Development, a services park at Ramanagaram Taluk in Bangalore Rural district is spread across 971 acres. This sectorspecific park will cater to the services sector with focus on advanced R&D.
HARDWARE AND
MULTI-PRODUCTS
A hardware and multi-product manufacturing park spread over 39 acres in Hoskote Taluk, it covers Bagur Village in its vicinity under the Nandagudi Hobli. A multi-product SEZ at Chikballapur near Devanahalli village is spread across 2,810 acres.
FEATURES
All these non-IT SEZs will have social infrastructure in keeping with the stipulated norms in the policy drawn up by the Central government. Developers at multi-product SEZs can build a maximum of 25,000 houses, a hotel with 250 rooms, a 100-bed hospital, office space, retail stores and multiplexes up to two lakh square metres and educational institutions upto 2.5 lakh square metres.
Sector-specific SEZ space can have 7,500 houses, a 100-room hotel, a 25-bed hospital, office space, retail stores and multiplexes up to 50,000 square metres, schools and other educational institutions upto 25,000 square metres.
All non-IT SEZs will have transport infrastructure, departmental stores, banks and basic necessities housed within the premises, along with power and water supply facilities put in place during the land development procedure.
The non-IT SEZ units are required to fulfill environmental and pollution control norms.
Though the biotechnology segment of the non-IT SEZs is not authorised to house hospitals, hotels and schools, priority is given to office space and residential complexes.