Mundra SEZ high on self-reliance

SEZ: Ear to the Ground PART II

Even as land-grabbing issues plague the creation and development of special economic zones (SEZs) elsewhere in the country, the Adani group is quietly charting a route for such an enterprise area in Gujarat.

With plans to bring in the best international collaborations and better connectivity to the SEZ at Mundra, in the barren coastal belt of the Gulf of Kachchh, a top management team is at work getting the area ready to hit the capital market by April.

If the operations' blueprint up to 2015 is to be believed, this is just a beginning for the Adani group-backed SEZ.

Upgrade of infrastructure: Mundra port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ), the separate company floated by the Adani group, has plans to add at least 14 new berths and four more jetties to supplement the eight jetties it owns currently.

This will take the port capacity from 20 MMT to 120 MMT by the year 2010-15. Four additional mobile harbour cranes with 100 MT lift capacity, capable of handling 10,000 MT of bulk cargo per crane per day are also being installed.

Work is on at the Mundra SEZ, to establish critical road, water, power, telecom, gas, drainage and sewage connections; development of a global trading hub and six industrial parks including a textile park, auto component park, heavy engineering and construction equipment park, drug and pharmaceutical park, chemical and fertiliser park and a gem and jewellery park, is also being undertaken on a priority basis.

Officials say that till February, 16-17 textile companies have shown interest in the textile park, and an equal number of stone slab manufacturers and exporters have been in dialogue with the MPSEZ.

About 18 international schools have been talked to; three-four are expected to set up institutes in the SEZ. So far two hotels have also signed MoUs with the company and more are expected to be formalised this week.

"Unlike other SEZs, which bore the brunt of the local people and farmers, SEZs in Gujarat ""especially the one at Mundra "" has developed unscathed.

The government policy of encouraging SEZ-led development has been the major factor... in this state, promoters can purchase land directly from the farmers. Since a farmer can demand market price and not settle for the lower prices offered by the state, no opposition has been raised," said MPSEZ Senior Manager Sougata Bhattacharya.

This has made the going easy for the MPSEZ, at least in ensuring site connectivity, a grey area till recently. Earlier, one had to land at Kandla or Bhuj and travel nearly 60 km by road.

However, with the Mundra Aerodrome, the MPSEZ wants to ease it out for executives who could not land their aircraft in the SEZ earlier. The company is also contemplating a 12-hole golf course adjacent to the aerodrome. Further, the MPSEZ has its own A-tier 40-seater for high-flying executives and will acquire another by March.

According to an MPSEZ official, the company has urged Air Deccan to underwrite some of its seats on a daily basis on flights to and from Kandla and Mumbai.

Adani group's Mundra SEZ located in the coastal region of the Gulf of Kachchh

Mundra SEZ to be ready for the capital market by April, 2007

Six industrial parks planned

Seaport, airport of its own add to SEZ infrastructure

Added infrastructure to augment port capacity to 120 MMT by 2010-15

Port being prepared to handle 40,000 MT cargo per day

The SEZ company has its own aircraft, to purchase another

Second track for the SEZ's 64-km railway line at Kandla Port planned