Consumer electronics major Videocon Group is making a foray into the biotech space with its special economic zone (SEZ), with a Thai partner, to be set up in West Bengal.The SEZ is expected to be around 60-acre in size, and will also include food processing and floriculture."The foundation stone for the SEZ, which marks our foray into the biotech sector, will be laid on Friday (June 28) by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya," Venugopal Dhoot, chairman, Videocon Group told PTI.He said the biotech SEZ at Siliguri would be a joint venture with a Thailand-based firm. A joint venture agreement is to be signed shortly, he added."Thailand is very strong in biotech and we expect to have synergy through the partnership," Dhoot said. He, however, declined to disclose the identity of the company.It will be the among five SEZs that Videocon has proposed to set up in West Bengal. The group had applied for a multi-product SEZ at Kalyanbill and Motiagacha sites in North 24 Parganas measuring up to 1,080 acre. It has also planned a 1,000 acre multi-product zone between Kharagpur and Kolkata.Besides, the group proposed to set up a 12-acre electronics hardware, software and ITeS SEZ at Siliguri, Ranidanga and Kalaram Mouza, and another 144 acre product specific SEZ at Suryapur Mouza in North 24 Parganas.
