Hardware Park units set to start production in Jan '05

Some of the units that are coming up at the Hardware Park near the proposed international airport near Hyderabad are expected to commence production from January 2005.

L V Subrahmanyam, vice-president and managing director of APIIC, assured the companies of all support including the SEZ status if needed.

"The greenfield international airport will be operational by 2007, much ahead of the proposed facility in Bangalore. The 1,200 acre-Hardware Park, which is located just besides the airport will be a very conducive place for the hardware manufacturers," he said.

He also said that the government is in the process of acquiring 4,000 acres more for the other facilities in and around Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, C S Rao, IT advisor to Andhra Pradesh government said that a separate nodal agency for hardware industry will be announced in a month or so.

According to him, the state government is also mulling to set up an investment ombudsman on the lines of banking ombudsmen, through which the larger part of clearances for investment proposals would be made automatic with the lapse of a certain period after receiving the applications.