Sterlite set to invest Rs 1,000 cr in Haridwar

The metal giant Sterlite Industries, a Vedanta Group company, has decided to set up a manufacturing plant in the Integrated Industrial Estate (IIE) of Haridwar, with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.

"Sterlite has confirmed it will invest nearly Rs 1,000 crore in Haridwar," said Alok Kumar, managing director (MD) of the State Industries Development Corporation of Uttaranchal Ltd (SIDCUL), which is developing the Haridwar industrial estate.

Sterlite is likely to manufacture power transmission cables in the new unit. There were also plans of manufacturing sheeting covers, Kumar said.

With the arrival of Sterlite, the Haridwar industrial estate has added another feather to its cap as it had been attracting investments from top-notch companies.

From companies like ITC to Hindustan Lever (HLL), over 500 industries have given their final nod to set up shop in this industrial estate, which is the first in Uttaranchal to be developed by SIDCUL over 1,468 acres.

The Haridwar industrial estate will have 822 plots. While 29 companies, including HLL and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), have started production, 173 have started construction. A total of 277 industries have been given possession of industrial plots.

Top officials said nearly 31,000 people would get employment opportunities here.

Gherzi Eastern Ltd, a New Delhi-based company, has been given the task of completing work on roads, drainage and water supply here, as a supervisory and consultancy agency.

For maintaining power load requirements, which comes around 120 Mw, the government is setting up a separate 220 KV substation with two independent feeders here, which would be completed by January 2007. In addition to this, six small 33/11 KV sub-stations would also be installed.

A central effluent treatment plant is also being set up so as to fulfil the environmental norms. "We are providing all basic facilities which are necessary for a good industrial estate," said the official.

In this regard, he said the government would provide facilities like office buildings, shopping mall, plaza, recreation facilities, hotels and restaurants, banks and ATM counters, transport plaza, IT/Telecom centres et al.

While ITC is setting up a food and personal care product unit with of Rs 125 crore here, HLL has established a cosmetics and toiletries production unit with an investment of Rs 102 crore.