GIDC aims to house 5,000 units at 12 new industrial estates

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) is bullish of wooing new investments and aims to house more than 5,000 new industrial units at the 12 new industrial estates it is developing.

Sources said the land acquisition for nine of the 12 industrial estates, near Surendranagar, Anand, Patan, Mehsana, Chitrod in Kutch, Khirasara and Nagalpur in Rajkot district, and Khoraj on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, has been completed. “We are on the verge of completing the acquisition at Bhadreshwar in Kutch and Amirgadh in Banaskantha. The GIDC is yet to initiate the land acquisition process at Thuvar Jalotra in Banaskantha district,” said a senior official in the state industrial department.

According to the official, industrial plots have already been allotted to 1,150 units. He said that by the end of 2022, these industrial estates will be fully functional, as not only domestic, but a few Japanese firms have also evinced interest.

“Apart from a couple, most of the 12 estates are located near small towns to ensure comparatively cheaper land for upcoming industrial units. Most units that wish to operate here will be in the MSME category. We are expecting investment of nearly Rs 20,000 crore in the next two years,” he said.

Medical device manufacturers have zeroed in on Khirasara to set up new facilities. Industrial units from diverse sectors, including forging, engineering, pharmaceuticals and food processing, are constructing necessary infrastructure. The Aithor estate near Mehsana has already allotted 254 of the 279 plots by mid-November. Common infrastructure facilities to be developed by GIDC are almost ready at eight of the estates.