Gujarat IT dept seeks more land for SEZs

As the state government is putting immense efforts in projecting Gujarat as a preferred destination for the IT and ITeS sector, the state IT department is seeking more land to draw companies such as Infosys, Wipro and Satyam to set up SEZs in the state.

The existing land bank available with Gujarat Informatics Ltd in prime locations of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is on the verge of exhaustion and the IT companies are stressing to have an establishment in these areas only.

"Satyam and Infosys are keen on exploring Gujarat so we have to find suitable land before inviting them. Wipro is also exploring the possibility of finding suitable land and the department is trying to help the company," said a senior government official.

If the three companies set up SEZs in the state, it will give a major boost to IT, an official said while adding that they should also keep the option open of setting up SEZs by purchasing privately-owned properties.

"There isn't much land left with the state government in prime locations of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. We have requested the revenue department to find more land for allotment to the IT sector," the official said.

In a meeting held on Tuesday, the GIL has asked the state revenue department to allocate land at Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, sources informed.

"The department has also asked for land at places such as Bhavnagar and Jamnagar as some companies and developers would like to set up SEZs there," sources informed.

While many IT players share space with others in a common SEZ, companies such as Infosys, Satyam and Wipro prefer to operate in a SEZ entirely owned by them, the official informed.

The state government has enough land in places such as Rajkot but the three companies are keen on setting up SEZs in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar only, sources said.

The rise in real estate prices in the last one year has lead the IT companies seeking land from the state government at subsidised rates, sources informed.

The IT department has managed to draw developers such as K Raheja Corp and DLF for setting up IT SEZs in the state. K Raheja Corp has initiated work on building Mindspace at Koba.

DLF has selected land at Shapur village, three km from Gandhinagar for an IT SEZ, according to sources. The land will soon be given to DLF, sources informed.

The Vadodara Express highway is poised to be the next IT corridor as developers such as Raheja, DLF and Kolkata-based Infinity have shown interest in setting up IT SEZs in the region.