Investment in SEZs may touch Rs 1 lakh crore

In his special address at NASSCOM-ELCOT interactive session in Chennai today B Vijayan, development commissioner, Madras Export Processing Zone-SEZ said that at the end of 2007-08 around Rs 71,000 crore was invested and around 3.11 lakh employment opportunities were created across the country.

Export from SEZs increased by 93 per cent to Rs 67,300 crore from Rs 37,787 crore compared to exports from MPEZ-SEZ which increased by 28.6 per cent to Rs 3,168.53 crore from Rs 2,462.40 crore. He noted, around 453 SEZs are formally approved by the Commerce Ministry, of which 282 are IT/ITES/Electronic hardware.

He added, of the total approved SEZs, southern region accounted for 44 per cent, west 31 per cent, north 19 per cent and east accounted for the balance six per cent. In the south 182 SEZs are formally approved of which 72 SEZs are in Andhra Pradesh, 59 in Tamil Nadu and 41 in Karnataka.

In Tamil Nadu as on March 31, around Rs 5,440.09 crore invested in SEZs and 52,177 direct employment opportunities were created. Rs 17,153.05 crore worth of goods are exported from SEZs in Tami Nadu, said Vijayan.