Infosys gets nod to operate in Info-valley SEZ

Company is allowed by the Union Commerce Ministry to act as a co-developer of the SEZ

The Falta Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has allowed IT major Infosys to set up a unit in the IT SEZ proposed within Info-valley complex planned in about 500 acres of land on the outskirts of the city.

“Development Commissioner, Falta SEZ, is pleased to extend to you all the facilities and entitlements admissible to a unit in a SEZ subject to the provisions of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and the rule and orders made there under and for the establishment of a unit at Plot PB-1, NE-1 and NP-1, Info-valley, IDCO IT/ITES SEZ, Gaudakashipur and Arisal, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Odisha for undertaking authorized operations”, Sanjeev Nandwani, Development Commissioner, Falta SEZ wrote to Infosys, Bangalore.

The IT behemoth, which is the anchor tenant for the Info-valley project, is authorised to have software development and consultancy/ information technology/ information technology enabled services (ITes) operations. The company has been allotted 20,961.94 square meters (50.919 acres) of land in the SEZ spread over 262.52 acres.

While giving its approval, Falta SEZ has set some conditions. The terms, among others, stipulates that the Infosys unit will export the goods manufactured/goods imported/procured for trading services, including items of trading, as per the provisions of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rules made there under for a period of five years from the date of commencement of production or service activities. For this, the company will execute a bond cum legal undertaking as prescribed under the Special Zone Rules, 2006.

The approval follows the letter of the state-run Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to Falta SEZ requesting to issue the letter of permission (LoP) to Infosys to start operations at its Info-valley campus, the second development centre of the IT major in the city.

Idco said, the Bangalore-based company was allowed to act as a co-developer of the SEZ by the Union Commerce Ministry. After executing the lease deed for the land on August 29, 2013, Infosys had sought a consent letter from Idco to obtain LoP from the development commissioner, FALTA SEZ. Acting on the request, Idco had conveyed its consent to Infosys for operationalizaton of its unit in accordance with the Clause 18 sub-clause 2(ii) of SEZ rule, 2006, of Government of India.

The IT major has informed the state government to start the operation of its centre with an initial head count of 1,000 later this year.