NIMZ in Tamil Nadu to attract Rs 6,525 crore

Announced various projects including setting up of a pharmaceutical park

Tamil Nadu government today said it would set up a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) of Rs 6,525 crore in the state.

The state government also plans to set up a pharmaceutical park to encourage medical eqipment manufacturing in partnership with HLL Lifecare Ltd, a Governmnent of India enterprise.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the manufacturing zone would come up in the backward district of Ramanathapuram, and the government would submit a detailed project plan to the Centre and would take full efforts to implement it.

The chief minister said the government through the planned zone, expected to make Tamil Nadu a hub for medical equipment manufacturing; propel industry growth and bring down their imports.

Tidco would set up the medical park, along with HLL Lifecare Ltd, in a bid to make the state the epicentre of medical equipment production centre in India and boost medical technology in the country, she said.The facility would come up in over 330 acres in Chengalpet in Kanchipuram district at a cost of Rs 130 crore.

Jayalalithaa claimed this would be the first-of-its-kind park in the country and have around 100 companies, including 30 big and medium units. It would create around 3,000 jobs directly and another 5,000 directly.

In Coimbatore, Tidco would  set up TICEL Bio Park-III at a cost of Rs 55 crore on 10 acres. The Park would be developed along with Tidel Park and would be constructed in the land, which belongs to Anna University. The project will offer direct employment to 500 people and another 500 jobs indirectly.

Besides, the state government plans to start a 15 mld ( million litres-a-day) desalination plant in Kadaladi of in Ramanathapuram district with an investment of around Rs 1,500 crore. The salt released from the facility would be used by the Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation. Also, the Kadaladi facility will have a 50-Mw solar power plant in over 500 acre in Vainokkam salt pan area.

Plans were also announced to set up an electronics manufacturing facility in collaboration between Tidco and GMR Infrastructure in 527 acres in Krishnagiri involving Rs 920 crore investment. The facility is expected to attract an investment of around Rs 7,000 crore and provide direct and indirect employment to around 40,000 people.

Necessary facilities in various Sipcot industrial parks across the state would be refurbished with an investment of Rs 190.57 crore during 2014-15, said Jayalalithaa.

She also announced various projects including setting up of modern distilleries in sugar manufacturing facilities for Rs 17 crore, upgrading Tamil Nadu Minerals Corporation with Rs 16.42 crore and a facility to produce value-added products for around Rs 40 crore.