The Hindu Business Line : First SEZ for pvt IT cos coming up in Coimbatore

Coimbatore, Aug. 9 The first SEZ exclusively for private IT/ITES companies in Coimbatore is being established by Coimbatore Hi-tech Infrastructure Private Ltd (CHIL), promoted by KG Information Systems Private Ltd (KGISL).

The SEZ, which is coming up on a 150-acre site in Saravanampatty, will offer facilities such as ready-to-occupy incubation space (for start-ups) and leased-out land where companies can build own facilities to match their business plans.

Besides, it would have amenities for commercial and social infrastructure, including hotels, residential accommodation and healthcare.

Robert Bosch India Ltd (RBIL), Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) and Perot Systems India have been allotted a total of 50 acres for their own facilities, while the remaining 100-acre area is being developed at a total investment of about Rs 1,000 crore over a three-year period.

Speaking to newspersons after inking the deal with RBIL, Mr Ashok Bakthavathsalam, Managing Director, KGISL, said that CHIL would be building three million sq feet of office space over the next three years.

The special purpose vehicle has been formed primarily to build, operate and run the SEZ.

The Centre has notified and authorised it to run the SEZ up to 150 acres as a single contiguous area.

Mr Bakthavathsalam expects good response from small and medium IT companies from other centres looking to expand outside.

He added that market studies showed that IT/ITES companies prefer exclusive SEZs rather than co-exist with other sectors like manufacturing in the same SEZs.

On plans to expand the size of the SEZ later, he said that he would have to approach appropriate Government bodies to carry them out.

“But land is available for future expansion. The number of jobs created after three years may be around 30,000.”

The plug-and-play facilities are expected to be ready by July 2008.

The company owns the land where the SEZ is coming up; much of it is dry land.

It bought the land directly from owners without any outside support.

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