The Hindu Business Line : Exports from SEZs may double to Rs 1.4 lakh cr next fiscal

In an interaction with reporters after a workshop here, Mr Ravi S. Saxena, said eight SEZs are likely to be made autonomous SEZ Authorities in the near future.

Ahmedabad, Feb. 14 Exports from special economic zones (SEZs), mainly from the IT and ITeS-based zones, are likely to more than double to Rs 1,40,000 crore in the fiscal 2008-09.

In 2006-07, exports from SEZs amounted to Rs 34,787 crore and are projected to increase by nearly 93 per cent in 2007-08 to Rs 67,088 crore, according to Mr Ravi S. Saxena, Development Commissioner, Kandla SEZ, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Nearly 70 per cent of this revenue came from the IT sector.

In an interaction with reporters after a workshop here, he said eight SEZs are likely to be made autonomous SEZ Authorities in the near future. These are situated at Kandla, Falta, Noida,Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Santa Cruz, Kochi and Indore. The authorities would work autonomously, with their own balance-sheets. The Centre has so far granted formal approval to 428 SEZs across India, in-principle approval to 165 and notified 195.

The total land requirement for the formal approvals granted till date is nearly 59,933 hectares. Out of the 428 formal approvals, 160 are for sector-specific and multi-products purposes for labour-intensive manufacture of textiles and apparels, leather footwear, automobile components, engineering etc. These SEZs are expected to create more than 21 lakh additional jobs, mainly for unemployed rural youth, Mr Saxena said.

In Gujarat, altogether 19 formal approvals have been given for SEZs and 16 others notified in which the proposed investment would be nearly Rs 1,06,924 crore with an expected job potential of 5,46,294 (direct and indirect). Of this, Rs 34,600 crore has already been invested, creating nearly 16,000 jobs.

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