The Maharashtra Industrial development Corporation (MIDC) has tied up with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) for joint development of a pharmaceutical SEZ at Krushnoor, Nanded District, Maharashtra. The developers are currently talking to pharmaceutical companies in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
In order to know the industry expectations in AP, key MIDC, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and IL&FS officials had conducted a meeting at Hyderabad on Monday, which was attended by Hyderabad-based bulk drugs and formulations industry bodies besides industry entrepreneurs.
In the last one decade, the pharma companies in Andhra Pradesh have strengthened their exports presence and are constantly increasing their infrastructure capabilities in both bulk drugs and formulations. To meet the growing needs of AP based pharma companies, Ramky Pharma City is developing a pharma city and a pharma SEZ. Other pharma SEZs that are coming up in the country are also finding AP as a key target base as the State has a significant share in both bulk drugs and formulations sectors.
MIDC and IL&FS are aiming to create world-class infrastructure for pharmaceutical industry and provide a package of incentives to attract foreign and domestic investments for promoting export led growth. The SEZ will also boost pharmaceuticals based research and development.
The proposed pharmaceuticals SEZ will lay thrust on bulk drugs, formulations, generics, bio-pharmaceuticals and research and development. The SEZ will offer developed plots for medium and large scale enterprises who will acquire them on lease. The SEZ intends to provide internationally competitive duty-free environment in addition with hassle-free operational freedom.
The SEZ will also provide specialised facilities such as plug and play lab space, instrumentation facilities, IPR facilitation, warehousing and effluent treatment and disposal. An integrated township will also be established. In addition to road and rail connectivity, Nanded will be getting a Boeing Class Airport by 2007. The SEZ is expected to attract significant industry investments (up to Rs 300 crore) and employment opportunities to about 15,000 people.
As of now, the Nanded SEZ has obtained a formal approval from Board of Approvals, Ministry of Commerce and Industries to be established in 148 hectares. IL&FS is undertaking the SEZ development activities. Site surveys have been completed and consultants have been appointed to make sector specific studies on finding requirements of industry.
It may be noted that a pharmaceuticals SEZ is also being established in Shendra, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, which is also expecting an investment of Rs 300 crore. The SEZ is being developed by Wockhardt Infrastructure Development Ltd in an area of 101.62 hectares. In the biotech front, a SEZ is proposed at Jalna (Maharashtra), which is likely to have an investment of about Rs 800 crore, to be established in 40.33 hectares.
Maharashtra is to have close to 60 SEZs across all industries, more than half of which are owned by private enterprises and the rest are being operated under MIDC.