Uttarakhand to prepare mega plan for auto, knowledge hubs

The Uttarakhand government has decided to prepare a mega action plan for attracting big investments in the proposed new auto hub at Sitarganj and set up a knowledge hub at Kashipur.

A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna during a review meeting of the department of industrial development on Wedenesday. Under the new action plan, the government would launch steps to attract entrepreneurs for the Sidcul Phase-2 industrial estate at Sitarganj for which the National Projects Construction Corporation has already been selected as a consultant. The new industrial estate at Sitarganj would be developed as an auto-hub, said Rakesh Sharma, principal secretary, industries.

“Our aim is to attract investments worth Rs 5,000 crore at Sitarganj,” said Sharma.

Significantly, the decision to set up the auto-hub comes at a time when auto giant Mahindra and Mahindra has already promised to invest Rs 3,000 crore for the setting up of an integrated passenger-vehicle manufacturing plant at Sitarganj. President of the automotive business of M&M group Pawan Goenka recently met Bahuguna seeking 500 acres of land in this regard.