Videocon to set up chip unit

Apart from a slew of projects and two IT and biotech SEZs in West Bengal, Videocon Industries is considering to set up a fabrication laboratory for semiconductors near Kolkata.

The Andhra government is also trying to attract the project to Hyderabad. "But West Bengal's offer is good and we are considering it," Videocon group Chairman Venugopal Dhoot said.

The fabrication centre would typically entail an initial investment of Rs 1,000 crore, which may go up if the project is taken up in phases, Dhoot said.

Videocon has asked for around 100 acres near Kolkata for the semiconductor and fabrication complex during a meet with chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today.

Bhattacharjee said the state was trying hard to set up an Indian Design Centre in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur and with central assistance, for chip designing. This would encourage both software and hardware development in the state.

The Videocon group has also planned to set up two SEZs in the state "� one at Dabagram in Jalpaiguri district and another at Guptamani near Kharagpur.

The SEZ at Dabagram, likely to provide employment to 1,000 persons, would be set up on the state government's housing department land and there would be no land acquisition problem, the chief minister said.

The SEZ at Guptamani has been planned over 1,000 hectare, Bhattacharjee said.

Videocon has already received the Centre's nod for the SEZ near Kharagpur. Videocon would also set up an IT tower at Salt Lake, which would be able to employ 30,000 people, Dhoot said.

The company has also installed machinery at its Taratola unit with Rs 200 crore investment for producing LCD TVs.