Brandix SEZ in talks with 10 firms

Brandix India Apparel City (Private) Limited (BIAC) is expecting investments up to Rs 4,500 crore over the next 4-5 years, with negotiations currently on with 8-10 garment manufacturers from around the globe, according to Vinu Sudan, director, BIAC.

BIAC, the Indian arm of Sri Lanka-based Brandix group, has developed a textile SEZ in 1,000 acres of land in Visakhapatnam district.

Four units were already operating in the SEZ with a total investment of about Rs 400 crore on infrastructure and other facilities. Two other units are under implementation which have pumped in about Rs 400 to set up manufacturing facilities.

The central government has approved 21 integrated textile parks across the country in 2005, of which only two are operational including the BIAC, according to Vinu Sudan, director, BIAC.

The SEZ is expecting to house 20 units and the exports to touch $ 1.2 billion a year, after full occupation of the zone, Sudan told reporters here on Thursday.

Many Chinese garment companies were looking at the BIAC zone as a possible location and some of these were expected to set up their facilities here, Sudan said. “So far the units in BIAC have exported garments worth Rs 190 crore and during this fiscal we are aiming for another Rs 200 crore from exports,” he added.

BIAC currently employs over 5,000 people and by the end of this fiscal the figure will grow to 10,000 and by 2015-16 total about 60,000 people will get employment and mostly rural girls will get employment in these units, he said.