Wipro, R-ADAG, Bharat Forge plan massive investments in Karnataka; Karnataka govt clears 60 industrial projects involving an investment of Rs 60,330 crore
Bangalore-based Infosys Technologies Ltd, the country’s second-largest software services exporter, will invest Rs 2,960 crore to set up two software development centres in Bangalore.
The company has already acquired 365 acres of private land at Sarjapur in Bangalore and has approached the state government for another 40 acres near the Bangalore International Airport.
The proposed campus at Sarjapur on the outskirts of Bangalore would be Infosys’ second-largest campus (in terms of area) after the Mysore one. The Sarjapur campus would see an investment of Rs 2,250 crore and would employ 18,000 persons.
The Mysore campus, spread over 700 acres, has a corporate training centre and a development centre.
At the proposed software development centre near Bangalore International Airport, Infosys would invest Rs 710 crore. Around 12,000 people would be employed there.
Both proposals were cleared at a state high-level clearance committee (SHLCC), headed by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, here today.
Murugesh R Nirani, minister for large and medium industries, said, “Infosys had already acquired the land from private landholders and we have given all the approvals to the company for conversion of the land for industrial use. The company is likely to start the work in July this year.”
Currently, Infosys has an employee base of 1,13,796, including its subsidiaries across its centres both in India and overseas locations.
An Infosys official confirmed that the company had sought clearance to set up two more development centres in the city as part of its expansion plans. He said, “If they (the state government) have cleared the proposals, it is good. Yes, we have applied for clearance to set up two new centres.”
Apart from Infosys, the state government also approved Wipro’s proposal to set up a greenfield IT park over 50 acres on Sarjapur Road in Bangalore. Wipro would invest Rs 537 crore and provide jobs to 25,000 persons.
The SHLCC cleared 60 proposals, involving a total investment of Rs 60,330 crore, with an employment potential for 3,07,000 persons.
The other big-ticket investment proposals cleared include a proposal from Anil Ambani-led Reliance to set up a 5 MTPA cement plant at Chitradurga at an investment of Rs 2,500 crore and Bharat Forge’s proposal to set up a 540 Mw coal-based thermal power project at an investment of Rs 1,584 crore. Bharat Forge has also plans to set up a combined cycle natural gas-based power plant of 665 Mw at a cost of Rs 1,625 crore.
While Hyderabad-based Luxor Energy Pvt Ltd has proposed to set up a 2x660 Mw thermal power plant at an investment of Rs 5,902.8 crore, Luxor Power Pvt Ltd has proposals to set up a gas-based combined cycle power plant of 1,014 Mw at a cost of Rs 4,040.6 crore.
The state government also cleared a proposal by the Reserve Bank of India to set up a currency note paper manufacturing plant at a cost of Rs 1,180 crore at Mysore. The state government will sign memorandum of understandings with all the promoters during the forthcoming global investors’ meet on June 3.
