Process of giving land to Foxconn mobile manufacturing unit in final stages

Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil on Thursday said that the process of handing over land to Apple Inc supplier and Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn, for its mobile devices manufacturing unit near here is in "final stages".

"Foxconn is coming up in about 300 acres. The process relating to handing over land is in the final stages. There were some issues, so I have personally held meetings four times in this regard, as we did not want to lose the project. Foxconn, which manufactures Apple phones, is very prestigious for us," Patil said.

"Foxconn will invest USD 1 billion, which is Rs 8,400 crore, and will create 50,000 employment in the first phase", the minister said in the Legislative Assembly responding to a question raised by Doddaballapura BJP MLA Dheeraj Muniraju during question hour.

The Karnataka government in March, through its state high-level clearance committee (SHLCC), had cleared the investment proposal by Foxconn. The project will come up on a 300-acre parcel of land in the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) at Doddaballapur and Devanahalli taluks.

Patil said, according to the state's industrial policy, 152 taluks are most backward, 78 are backward and nine taluks are developed, with respect to industries.

Noting that the MLA highlighted the lack of basic infrastructure at the industrial parks, and the improper roads leading to such parks in his constituency, he said, after taking over as minister he has thought about a plan to review all industrial estates in the state. He said the ministry was considering providing at least minimum facilities there as a one time measure, after which they would be handed over to associations, creating a separate body like in Electronic City here in Bengaluru.

There will be 70 per cent and 30 per cent division in funds, he further said, adding that 70 per cent will be spent on industrial parks and 30 per cent given to local bodies.