Six new special economic zones (SEZs)are expected to go on stream in Tamil Nadu during the current financial year. Total investments in these SEZs are likely to exceed Rs 50,000 crore. The state already has 11 SEZs (excluding information technology SEZs), which registered physical and deemed exports worth Rs 35,641 crore in 2009-10.
Ajay Mittal, development commissioner, Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), one of the seven zones set up by the Centre, said that 56 SEZs, including IT ones, were notified in the state, of which 32 are for IT and 24 non-IT. Of the 24, six will be operational by end of the current fiscal.
The new SEZs include an engineering SEZ at Perundurai promoted by State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (Sipcot), a multiservice SEZ and a light engineering one, both near Kalpakam, free trade warehousing zone at Sriperumbudur, food processing zone at Tuticorin and a multi-product SEZ at Nanguneri.
While total investment in these SEZs is likely to cross Rs 50,000 crore, the Nanguneri SEZ alone is expected to attract investments to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore and to generate 70,000 jobs. The SEZ is being promoted by Hyderbad-based AMRL International Tech City, according to industry sources.
The existing SEZs include Sipcot’s SEZs at Sriperumbudur, Gangai Kondan and at Oragadam, Nokia’s manufacturing SEZ unit at Sriperumbudur (largest exporter among all the SEZs in terms of value), Mahindra’s SEZ on the GST road for auto, apparel and IT/ITeS, Flextronics, Cheyyar Developers SEZ Ltd, Synfera Construction Ltd and MEPZ SEZ, Chennai.