Kannauj's attar industry to move to modern products

The Uttar Pradesh government will soon roll out an ambitious plan in which the traditional attar, or the indigenous perfume, industry in Kannauj will be upgraded to produce modern lifestyle products like cologne and deodrants sought by the youth. It's part of the effort to increase industrial activity in the area. Kannauj is the parliamentary constituency of Dimple Yadav, wife of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Local manufacturers of the traditional attar have been asked to diversify and explore the possibility of transforming their fragrance oils into deodorants, Surya Pratap Singh, principal secretary for infrastructure and industrial development, told IANS.

"Procuring pressurised bottles and making deodorants out of the traditional attar is high on our agenda and the upcoming plastic city could be a close and good source of such bottles," the official said.

Kannauj District Magistrate Roopesh Kumar has assured that very soon a 70-acre plot of land will be arranged in Kannauj for industrial purposes.

Surya Pratap Singh said that as per the state's infrastructure and industrial investment policy, the government was committed to encouraging industrial development by providing infrastructure.

So far, the Vardan Group has expressed willingness to set up a corn-processing industrial unit at Kannauj and SI Solutions has shown interest in setting up a potato processing unit, an official said.

The corn unit will be set up on 20 acres of land with an investment of Rs.150 crore. It would have corn starch as the final product.

Around 50 acres of land will be required for the potato processing unit, with an investment of Rs.400 crore, Manoj Singh, managing director of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation, told IANS.

"Special efforts are being made to arrange 250 acres of land in Kannauj for industrial development," he said.

Manoj Singh said Kannauj urgently needs a maize processing industry to realise the real benefits of good crops.

At present, maize from Kannauj goes out of the state for processing.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in)