The Hindu Business Line : Kerala: Qatar shows interest in 7 projects

THE Qatar Government, which had sent a delegation to Kerala last month to explore investment opportunities, has zeroed in on seven project proposals out of 20 showcased by the State Government.

As the next step, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with Ashok Leyland Projects Services Ltd. (ALPS) for conducting feasibility studies on the projects, according to sources in the Industries Department.

One of the projects in which the Qatar Government would like to participate is the petrochemicals complex in Kochi proposed by Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL).

A presentation on the Rs 8,000-crore project was made to the Qatar team while it was in Kochi.

A special economic zone for plastics in Kasargod; the third phase expansion of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram; a holistic health village in Kozhikode; a healthcare technology park either in Thiruvananthapuram or in Kochi; an international convention centre at Aakulam in Thiruvananthapuram; and a BPO facility at Infopark in Kochi are the other projects identified by the Qatar Government for investments.

The special economic zone for plastics, estimated to cost Rs 900 crore, is proposed to be established on a 1,000-acre plot owned by the Government in Kasargod. The land was earlier earmarked for a petrochemicals complex, which, however, did not take off.

The proposal is to import basic petrochemical raw materials from Qatar to manufacture items ranging from domestic products, furniture, and automobile ancillaries to devices for medical applications such as sterile surgical disposables. The products could be re-exported or sold in the domestic market.

The holistic health village is planned to be set up at Kinalur near Kozhikode on a 270-acre plot and it will offer at least 25 popular systems of treatment such as ayurveda; homoeopathy; juice therapy; nutritional therapy; unani; yoga; Chinese medicines; acupuncture; and Tibetan medicines.

The village will feature a 1,500-bed health centre capable of handling 2,500 patients. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 200 crore.

The healthcare technology park will be on the lines of a special economic zone for the manufacture of medical devices. A feasibility study on the project has already been done by A.F. Ferguson.

It is estimated that the medical devices market in the country is worth Rs 15,000 crore and the proposed park hopes to attract some of the leading players in the field to set up shops there. The park will require an investment of around Rs 50 crore.

The Aakulam convention centre is planned on a 46-acre plot at a cost of Rs 140 crore. The Qatar team has also evinced interest in participating in the third phase expansion of the Technopark covering 100 acres.

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