Raheja Builders to set up textile SEZ in AP

SRIVIDHYA RAMKUMAR

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 03, 2007 08:30:45 PM]

HYDERABAD: Textile industry in Andhra Pradesh is set to get a fillip
with Raheja Builders' planning a 250-acre textile park in Hindupur in
Anantapur district.

Textiles minister G Vinod said, the park would soon be granted the SEZ
status and it would attract investments of Rs 500 crore. Addressing a
press conference, he said, the state government was also in the process
of securing patent protection under the GI Act for Gadwal, Uppada and
Dharmavaram techniques of weaving.

"This will help traditional weaving communities as they will be able to
market their products effectively. It will also help them improve
designs," he said.

The state has already bagged some big-ticket investments in the textile
sector. Coimbatore-based Southern India Mills Association (SIMA) is
investing Rs 1,200 crore and Chennai-based Loyal Textiles Mills is
planning to pump in Rs 100 crore in Nellore.

While Noida-based Vrindavan Ltd is setting up a project in Chittoor with
an investment of Rs 500 crore, Sri-Lanka's Mas Holdings has signed an
MoU with the state for a Rs 1,500-crore park in Nellore.

Besides, Brandix Lanka is setting up a 1,000-acre garment special
economic zone in Visakhapatnam at an investment of Rs 2,500 crore and
Secunderabad-based DPM textiles has committed an investment of Rs 332
crore in Guntur.

"Even Hyderabad is attracting many textile projects. Gokaldas Exports
has set up a production facility at Nacharam near Hyderabad at an
investment of Rs 25 crore. Govindaraja Textiles is also planning to
invest Rs 120 crore on a textile park in Pulivendula near Hyderabad,"
said Mr Vinod.

Talking about the initiatives taken by the state government to encourage
the textile sector, he said, it would be setting up a franchisee for the
export of Pochampally materials. "Pochampally Ikat has already got GI
status and now we are focusing on leveraging this strength to boost
exports," he said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Infrastructure/Raheja_Builders_to_set_up_textile_SEZ_in_AP/articleshow/1040770.cms