The Hindu Business Line : PM lays foundation for auto R&D centre

Advantage Chennai
The centre would help the automobile and auto component manufacturers achieve global standards.
The modernisation of Chennai airport to start soon.
Centre's aid sought for the desalination project in Chennai.

THE PRIME MINISTER, Dr Manmohan Singh, along with Ms Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA; Mr M. Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister; Mr Dayanidhi Maran, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology; and Mr Michael McNamara, CEO, Flextronics; at the inauguration of Flextronics Sriperumbudur Industrial Park near Chennai on Saturday. — Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai , Nov. 4

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today laid the foundation stone for the Rs 470-crore Global Automotive Research Centre (G-ARC) at Oragadam, near Chennai.

Dr Manmohan Singh said that the facility would have the latest infrastructure for automotive testing and homologation and will be developed on 304 acres.

Along with the Centres of Excellence being set up, G-ARC would make India a frontrunner in automobile R&D.

The G-ARC is part of the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project and will help automobile and auto component manufacturers achieve global standards.

Mission Plan

The Prime Minister said that the Indian automobile industry has carved out a 7 per cent share in the global market with virtually no State subsidy or support.

He said that the Heavy Industries Ministry was preparing an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016 to quadruple the turnover of the automotive sector in 10 years.

The Prime Minister said that he has asked the Railways to examine the feasibility of extending the dedicated freight corridor to South including Tamil Nadu.

The modernisation of Chennai airport would start soon and plans are being made for the development of Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchi airports, he said.

Feasibility Report

The Government would support the efforts to develop Colachel port as a major container port once the feasibility report is completed. Work on the Sethusamudram ship canal project is on.

Three cities, Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore have been covered under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Six districts have been taken up under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and more will be covered gradually.

The National Rural Health Mission and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan cover the entire the State.

Automobile Hub

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr K. Karunanidhi, said that with the setting up of the centre, Chennai will become a full-fledged automobile hub. It would have homologation and validation facilities for all categories of vehicles. It will be a centre of excellence for Infotroncis, Emission Measurement Chamber and passive safety.

The first phase will be ready for commissioning in September 2008 and the second phase in April 2011.

The Chief Minister touched on the demands made in a memorandum he earlier submitted to the Prime Minister on the development of Colachel Port and compensation for VAT implementation. He also sought the Centre's aid for the desalination project, modernisation of Chennai airport and requested that bullet trains be operated from Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Madurai.

He said that recent agreements with five companies have brought in investment worth Rs 2,300 crore and created about 50,000 jobs in Tamil Nadu.

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