In-principle approval given for 12 NIMZs

So far 8 NIMZs have been announced along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and MP

The government has so far given in-principal approval for setting up of 12 National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs), mega industrial zones with world class supporting infrastructure, Parliament was informed today.

"So far eight NIMZs have been announced along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

"Four other NIMZs outside the DMIC have also been granted ‘in-principle’ approval – two in Andhra Pradesh and one each in Karnataka and Maharashtra," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandeswari said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

Purandeswari said that the government has taken a number of steps to accelerate the manufacturing growth of the country.

"The measures taken recently include announcement of the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) 2011 with objectives of increasing the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25 per cent and creating 100 million additional jobs over a decade," she added.

The NMP envisages setting up of NIMZs, which are industrial townships, benchmarked to the best manufacturing hubs in the world.

In reply to another question, the Minister said the government has set up a committee under the chairmanship of RBI executive director RBI G Padmanabhan for suggesting steps to provide additional facilities to the exporters in the country.

"RBI has received a number of representations from trade/exporters' bodies highlighting the difficulties faced by them in regard to transaction cost, accounting issues, documentation, flow of finance to export sector, factoring etc," the Minister said.

The committee was constituted to evaluate the facilities/services provided by banks/financial institutions to the exporters and submit its report this month.