GMR set to revive Tamil Nadu SEZ plans

Bangalore-based GMR Group is planning to re-design and revive its plans to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) in Tamil Nadu. However, instead of working on the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled Services (ITeS)-based SEZ that was decided earlier, the company has now changed its plans to build a solar energy-based manufacturing zone.

“It was designed for IT and ITeS industries, but as convulsions hit the IT industry, we are re-designing the whole business plan for the SEZ to make it favourable for solar-based industries like manufacturing of solar photovoltaic based cells and solar films. These are the new-age industries,” GMR chief financial officer A Subba Rao told Business Standard.

The SEZ will be developed through a joint venture with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). The co-developer (GMR) was selected by TIDCO through a competitive bidding process. This SEZ will be spread across 3,300 acres in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. It is also strategically close to Bangalore. It was supposed to be operational by 2009. But, the project got delayed.