In last two meetings held by the SEZ Board of Approvals (BoA) on March 17 and June 12, 2006, 15 pharmaceuticals and biotechnology special economic zones have been accorded in-principle approval. Of the 15 SEZs which obtained the favourable approvals, eleven SEZs are for pharmaceuticals and four are biotechnology SEZs.

In the pharmaceuticals front, Divi's Laboratories has been approved to establish a SEZ in Chippada village near Visakhapatnam in an area of 101 hectares, Serum Institute has been approved to set up a SEZ in Pune in 21 hectares, while Ranbaxy will come up with a SEZ in Mohali in 32 hectares. Zydus has been formally approved for a SEZ in 42 hectares in Ahmedabad.

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has been formally approved to set up a SEZ for pharmaceuticals at Krushnoor in District Nanded, Maharashtra in 150 hectares and another SEZ at Shendre in District Aurangabad, Maharshtra in 107 hectares. Ramky Pharma City (India) got the formal approval for a pharma SEZ at Village Lemarthi in District Visakhapatnam in 243 hectares.

Hetero Drugs has obtained a formal approval to set up a pharma SEZ in an area of 100 hectares at Narsapuram in District Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh. CPL Infrastructure will also set up a SEZ near Ahmedabad in 200 hectares.

Jubilant Organosys received an in-principle approval for pharma SEZ to be established in Gujarat in an area of 160 hectares. Whereas, Overseas Infrastructure Alliance (India) has obtained an in-principle approval for setting up a SEZ at Chhata in District Mathura, Uttar Pradesh in 100 hectares.

Biocon has been formally approved to set up a biotech SEZ in Bangalore in 36 hectares, while MIDC has been approved to establish a BT SEZ at Jalna in Maharashtra in 40.33 hectares. Jubilant Organosys has received an in-principle approval for a BT SEZ in Mysore in about 11 hectares, while Parsvanath Developers also obtained in-principle nod to set up a bio-pharma SEZ at Tattanaram Village in Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh in 10.11 hectares.

Significant to note, three proposals for setting up SEZs have been deferred by BoA. These proposals include a proposal by Biological Evans to set up a biotech SEZ in Shameerpet in District Ranga Reddy, Andhra Pradesh, in an area of 28.83 hectares. Silver Oak Technologies proposed to set up pharmaceuticals SEZ at Kommagiri Village in Kotthapalli Mandal, East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh in 100 hectares, which was deferred. The SEZ BoA also deferred a proposal to set up a pharma SEZ in Goa by Meditab Specialities in 123.2 hectares.

The third meeting of the Board of Approval (BoA) of Special Economic Zones is scheduled to be held on August 8, 2006 at New Delhi. The proposals for setting up of SEZs received up to July 15, 2006 will be considered in the meeting of the Board of Approval.