The Hindu Business Line : Webel plans integrated IT park, residential township

The West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Ltd (WEBEL), the nodal agency for IT and ITes development in the State, has drawn up a plan for setting up an integrated IT park and residential township on 100 acres at Kalyani in Nadia district, about 50 km from Kolkata.

Webel has already received the expression of interest (EoI) from three developers, Mahindra Lifespace, Paharpur Cooloing Towers Ltd and Mumbai-based K Raheja Corporation for the setting up of the residential township on 50 acres, sources close to the development told Business Line.

The financial bidding process for the unit is expected to conclude by June after which the EoI proposal for the IT park on the adjacent 50 acre will be floated. The pre-bid meet for the first phase is expected within a month.

The total investment in the proposed project may be to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore, according to the sources.

"The State Land and Land Reforms Department has promised us 100 acre land and we plan to procure it soon," Mr Shyamal Roy, GM (ID and IS) Webel, said here on Wednesday in an interactive session in the presence of the newly appointed MD, Mr Tamal Dasgupta.

Srei Infrastructure has been appointed as the consultant for the project, he added. The investment for the proposed township, including 25,00,000 sq ft residential unit, hospitals, schools, and commercial space, may clock Rs 450-500 crore, according to sources from Srei Infrastructure Ltd's advisory division.

The investment for the proposed IT park of similar built up space, may also be to the tune of Rs 500 crore, they said.

Webel may keep a part of the IT-park and lease out the rest to other IT companies. The project is expected to be completed in five-six years from zero date.

"While initially an IT SEZ was planned on the piece of land, we later decided to develop an integrate IT park and township to avoid the longdrawn Central approval process," a Srei official said. The possibility of non-export intensive small and medium sector enterprises taking space in the area also prompted Webel to alter the plan of setting up an SEZ, which requires export intensive units, he said.

However an industry insider said on condition of anonymity, "The State Government should first develop the ecosystem for IT in Kolkata to help the existing players before coming up with new infrastructure elsewhere."

The existing big IT companies in the State are not in a position to expand and the new comers would not prefer land far away from Kolkata, he said.

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