Two IT MNCs to set up units at Mindspace soon

The SEZ at Gandhinagar now houses six companies employing 800 people

Mindspace, Gujarat's first IT special economic zone (SEZ) which kick-started operations with the world's fifth largest clinical research organisation (CRO) Kendle in June last year, now houses six companies employing 800 people in all.

What's more, two more multi-national IT firms together with one Ahmedabad-based IT enables service (ITeS) provider are all set to log into the Gandhinagar SEZ within a month's time.

The K Raheja Corp developed SEZ now houses six companies including Kendle, I-Gate (erstwhile Patni Computers), Gateway TechnoLabs, WinIT, Mansi Technologies and Rama Infotech of Vadodara. "These companies together have taken up close to 1.2 lakh square feet space at the Mindspace SEZ. In the next one month's time, the IT Park would house three more companies. Of these, two are multi-national companies and another is an Ahmedabad-based ITeS firm. They are awaiting approval from the office of development commissioner of the SEZ," Pankaj Kotak, head- Gujarat, business development, K Raheja Corp said.

These three firms are likely to take up 5,000 square feet space each for starters. "Companies usually start operations with lesser space,and expand later. Patni had started off with 19,000 square feet space here, it expanded to include another 19,000 square feet space, and has recently asked for another 19,000 square feet parcel," Kotak explained.

Similar has been Kendle's experience. The data management wing of the CRO started with just 50 people, expanded to over 100 people this year, and the company plans to eventually scale up the operations to 300 associates. For starters, Kendle had taken up 14,000 sq ft space, and it would require 84,000 square feet to house 300 associates.As the CRO ramps up it plans to spread over six floors of Mindspace.

Rahejas would develop around four to five million square feet of office space in Mindspace. The entire SEZ is coming up over around 100 acres of land with 66 acres for the IT-ITeS SEZ and the remaining for developing apartments, hotels, retail establishments, cafeterias, gymnasiums and other leisure offerings.

The cost of development of Mindspace has been Rs 2000 per square feet of office space apart from infrastructure cost. "Going forward, we are planning to develop residential units at Mindspace, work on which can start after a year's time," Kotak said.

Meanwhile, Strength Real Estate Private Limited, a K Raheja arm had withdrawn its formal approval for setting up of sector specific SEZ for IT/ITES at Vemali District, near Vadodara.Spread across an area of 13.74 hectares, the SEZ could not come up due to environmental hazards.