The Hindu Business Line : Videocon plans Rs 1,000-cr semiconductor unit near Kolkata

Tech focus
Semiconductor design-cum-fabrication facility to incorporate "R&D, training, incubation and commercial activities under one complex". Spread over 100 acres of land, it would specifically focus on thin film transistor technology.

Kolkata April 13 Videocon Industries Ltd will set up a semiconductor design-cum-fabrication complex near Kolkata at an "initial investment" of Rs 1,000 crore.

The company has also proposed to set up two Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the State.

This was announced at Writers' Buildings here on Friday by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, after a meeting with Mr V.N. Dhoot, Chairman & Managing Director of Videocon Industries Ltd. Mr Dhoot, who was present at the press briefing, also addressed queries from newspersons. Mr Bhattacharjee said Videocon would set up an IT-cum-biotechnology SEZ at Dabgram near Siliguri. Land owned by the State Housing Department there would be handed over to Videocon through the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority. The other proposed IT-cum-biotechnology SEZ would be set up at Kharagpur.

Already, Videocon has taken over the Kanchan Food Processing facility in North Bengal and converted it into a television and computers manufacturing unit, he said.

Mr Bhattacharjee said the proposed IT-cum-Biotechnology SEZs would partner with the India Design Centre that was proposed to be set up at Salt Lake here.

The India Design Centre would leverage upon the domain expertise of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Speaking to newspersons, Mr Dhoot said the proposed semiconductor design-cum-fabrication facility would incorporate "R&D, training, incubation and commercial activities under one complex". Spread over 100 acres of land, the complex would specifically focus on thin film transistor technology.

Asked whether he had decided to shift the proposed semiconductor facility from Hyderabad to Kolkata, Mr Dhoot said: "I had never taken a decision to go to Hyderabad".

French anchor investor

Mr Dhoot said the proposed IT-cum-biotechnology SEZ in Dabgram would be spread over 2,500 acres of land.

A French business house would provide the technology and also come in as "anchor investor" in Videocon's SEZ initiatives.

According to him, Videocon had decided to make an "initial investment" of Rs 200 crore on LCD (liquid crystal display) television technology at its Taratala plant here. The Videocon Group was also setting up a IT Park spread over 32 lakh sq.ft of space at Salt Lake here.

The proposed IT Park would engage 30,000 people.

Videocon has also taken over a consumer electronics unit of the West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation. It has been proposed to set up a finishing school for technicians and industrial workers there, Mr Dhoot said.

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