Govt okays Hindalco, Videocon, Salim Group SEZs

The central government today approved 25 more Special Economic Zones (SEZs), including Indonesia's Salim Group's proposal for setting up two SEZs in West Bengal at an investment of Rs 12,500 crore, Videocon's three units in the same state and Hindalco's aluminium plant in Madhya Pradesh.

The board of approvals for SEZs gave formal clearances to eight proposals and granted in-principle nod to 17 others, of the 88 proposals considered today for SEZs in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

With today's decision, the total number of formal approvals has increased to 189 and in-principle approvals has gone up to 145, an official release said.

The proposals by Salim Group-promoted New Kolkata International Development to set up one multi-product and 1 chemicals SEZ in West Bengal at an investment of Rs 12,500 crore was given in-principle approval. The proposed SEZs would be spread over an area of about 9,000 hectares.

Three proposals from Videocon Realty and Infrastructures for two multi-products and one electronics SEZ in West Bengal and Hindalco Industries's 2,025 hectare aluminium SEZ in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh were also given in-principle clearance.