Poll-bound Gujarat to set up 16 industrial estates with an investment of Rs 19,650 crore

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the estates would provide basic amenities and infrastructure to the smaller players and would also support local industries. File Photo

The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) announced on Wednesday that it would set up 16 industrial estates that would attract over 15,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) with an investment of Rs 19,650 crore.

These new industrial estates – 50 per cent of which will be in the Saurashtra region – will aim to create over a lakh new jobs in a state that goes to polls in December. “To promote MSME units, we are announcing new industrial estates in 16 places. About 15,000 units will be set up on plots measuring between 50 to 500 square meters. They will also generate 1 lakh jobs,” said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Rupani said the estates would provide basic amenities and infrastructure to the smaller players and would also support local industries, like automobiles and motor parts, located in and around Rajkot.

The announcement comes a few months after the government gave away Rs 730 crore as financial incentives to 16,000 MSME units wanting to expand or set up new units in the state in a function.

Gujarat already has 202 GIDC industrial estates and the new ones are spread across 2,460 hectares in 16 different assembly constituencies. The new estates are Devgam Khirsara (Rajkot Rural assembly constituency), Chattarmitana (Rajkot), Dhrol (Jamnagar Rural), Motichirai (Gandhidham), Vanod (Dasada), Chhapi-Magarwada (Vadgam), Bhagapura (Viramgam), Shinavad (Modasa), Dahod Expansion-Kharedi (Dahod), Indranaj (Sojitra), Savarkundla (Savarkundla), Lathi (Lathi), Narigam (Bhavnagar West), Madhiya (Bhavnagar Rural), Miyawadi (Bardoli) and Borakhadi (Mahuva).

“This is also an attempt to see that industrial development happens in far-flung places like Dahod, Vanod, Vyara and other places,” the chief minister said.

The biggest of the new industrial estates will be located in Vanod in Surendrnagar district, and will be spread over 900 hectares. It is expected to attract a proposed investment of Rs 6,600 crore. Similarly, the smallest is spread over just two hectares in Dhrol in Jamnagar district and is expected to get an investment of Rs 50 crore.