The Hindu Business Line : Vizianagaram to get ceramic park

THE Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) is planning to set up the first ceramic park in the State at Kothavalasa in Vizianagaram district.

"It will take less than a year for us to develop the infrastructure so that plots can be offered to the entrepreneurs," Ms K. Ratna Prabha, the APIIC Officer-on-Special Duty (industrial investment and projects), said in an interview here on Wednesday.

Initially, it was proposed to locate the park in Visakhapatnam district on 100 acres. Following the encouraging response from prospective investors at a seminar organised by the APIIC some time ago, it had been decided to acquire 300 to 400 acres at Kothavalasa to spur industrialisation in Vizianagaram district.

"After the seminar, several big players in the field, including 10 noted industrialists from Gujarat, expressed their willingness to lease huge stretches of land for launching their operations," she said.

Ms Ratna Prabha said the proposed park would attract many investors for setting up refractories, brick, tiles and pottery units. The steel plant here was giving refractory units located outside the State business of about Rs 120 crore.

Clay — the raw material for the manufacturing units in the park — was available in plenty and gas could be sourced from the Krishna-Godavari basin.

The supply of gas from K-G basin would reduce the fuel cost for the units by about 40 per cent. Availability of gas and cheap labour and location of a major port in the vicinity would be suitable for prospective investors.

The State Government had already released Rs 2 crore as initial grant to begin the land acquisition process and the APIIC would finalise the modalities for allotment of developed plots in consultation with the Ceramic Entrepreneurs Service Society, she said.

More Stories on : Ceramics | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page