South is booming with highest working SEZs, Gujarat at fifth rank

A total of 130 special economic zones (SEZs) in the country are currently exporting which include seven central government SEZs and 12 state / private SEZs set up prior to the enactment of SEZ Act 2005. Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia, the union minister of state for commerce and industry, informed rajya sabha today in response to a question from an independent member Mr. Parimal Nathwani.

The minister stated that as on 31st December 2010, an investment of Rs. 1,95,348 crore was made and the total direct employment was generated for 6,44,073 persons. He also said that the total physical exports of Rs. 2,20,711 crore approximately was made from these SEZs during the year 2009-10 registering a growth of about 121.40 percent over the previous financial year.

The total physical exports from SEZs in the first three quarters of the current financial year 2010-11 was to the tune of Rs. 2,23,132 crore approximately registering a growth of 46.7 per cent over the exports of corresponding period of the previous financial year; Mr. Scindia informed.

In accordance with the reply of the minister to MP Mr. Nathwani which was tabled in the house, Andhra Pradesh topped the list with 32 SEZs followed by Tamil Nadu with 22 and Karnataka with 20 SEZs. Thus the southern part of India seems booming in SEZ stride.

The Gujarat state, which houses RIL’s SEZ refinery at the world’s largest refinery complex in Jamnagar, is at fifth place with 13 SEZs. Maharashtra with 16 SEZs is the fourth in the country in terms of number of SEZs. Thus, these five states have 103 SEZs out of total 130 in the country.

The remaining 27 SEZs are in eight states of Chandigarh (1), Haryana (3), Kerala (7), Madhya Pradesh (1), Orissa (1), Rajasthan (3), Uttar Pradesh (6) and West Bengal (5).