Jharkhand plans IT, lac-based, SEZs in Ranchi, Jamshedpur

JAMSHEDPUR, SEPT 25:  The Jharkhand government is planning to set up separate biotechnology and IT parks in Jamshedpur and Ranchi. The state has a sizeable number of lac-producing units, who have been taking the material outside the state for product development and export.
Speaking to FE, state industry secretary AK Singh said, “According to Central guidelines, even 25 acres of land would be sufficient for both an IT and a biotech park.” Singh was here in connection with a workshop on “empowering SMEs with trade and finance solutions” organised jointly by EEPC India and ICICI Bank.Singh said he had discussed the issue of land allocation for the IT SEZ and the biotechnology park with themanaging director of the Adityapur industrial area development authority (Aiada) Vandana Dadel. “We can have the lac SEZ as our lac producers in Ranchi are exporting the lac. They are cent percent export-oriented units,” he said. “When we have so much strength within us, we must avail it and come up with better solutions,” he added. Jharkhand produces a sizeable quantity of lac.

Some lac producers here have been thinking of moving over to other states, including West Bengal. The industry secretary, who has been in dialogues with the lac producers, has promised the industry that a dedicated lac SEZ would come up in the Ranchi area.

The Indian Lac Research Institute, the only one of its kind in the country, is also based in Ranchi. “Lac has a good potential here as all the lac being produced here is moving out,” said Singh.According to the industry secretary, while the Jharkhand government has signed 56 MoUs in the steel, power and cement sectors, engineering is going to be the “key-word for Aiada”, the state’s most prosperous industrial area.

Jharkhand has already made a mark in the engineering sector, especially as a majority of the units housed in Aiada serve as ancillary units to Tata Motors .

Out of the three auto SEZs cleared by the Centre, two have gone to Maharashtra and the third has come to Jharkhand.
 
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=141503