Blitz Bureau
The Government has notified several changes to the regulations for setting up of special economic zones (SEZs) for manufacturing of semiconductors or electronic components, it announced on June 9. These revisions include reducing the minimum plot size for these units, and allowing such SEZ semiconductor units to also supply to the rest of India, apart from only exporting.
Green signal for two facilities in Gujarat, Karnataka with a total investment of Rs 13,100 crore
Following the notification of these changes, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, approval has been granted for the setting up of two SEZ facilities in Gujarat and Karnataka with a total investment of Rs 13,100 crore.
“Since manufacturing in these sectors is highly capital intensive, import dependent and involves longer gestation periods before turning profitable, rule amendments have been carried out to promote pioneering investments and boost manufacturing in these high technology sectors,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a release.
The amendment to Rule 5 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, has meant that an SEZ set up exclusively for the manufacturing of semiconductors or electronic components will now need a minimum contiguous land area of 10 hectares, down from the earlier requirement of 50 hectares.
The amendment to Rule 18 of the SEZ Rules further allows SEZ units in semiconductor as well as electronics component manufacturing sectors to also supply domestically to the rest of India after the payment of applicable duties. Conventionally, SEZs have been export-oriented.
Further, amendment to Rule 7 of SEZ Rules, 2006, allows the Board of Approval for SEZs to relax the condition requiring SEZ land to be encumbrance-free in cases where it is mortgaged or leased to the Central or State Government or their authorized agencies.
These amendments were notified by the Department of Commerce on June 3. Following this, the Board of Approval for SEZs approved the proposals by Micron Semiconductor Technology India and Hubballi Durable Goods Cluster Private Ltd (part of the Aequs Group) for setting up SEZs for the manufacture of semiconductors and electronic components respectively.
Micron will establish its SEZ facility in Sanand, Gujarat with an estimated investment of Rs 13,000 crore, while Aequs will establish its SEZ in Dharwad, Karnataka, with an estimated investment of Rs 100 crore.
“The amendments will boost high-tech manufacturing in the country, spur growth of the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem and create high skilled jobs in the country,” the release said.