RT team
On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet sanctioned the creation of 12 “industrial smart cities” across 10 states with a hefty investment of Rs 28,602 crore aimed at revitalizing domestic manufacturing.
The designated cities for these industrial endeavors include Khurpia in Uttarakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerala, Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in Andhra Pradesh, and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan. Targeting foreign direct investment from nations like Singapore and Switzerland, these cities intend to develop a robust industrial base, supporting large industries as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), detailed Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal during a media conference.
Spanning six major industrial corridors and forming an industrial cluster around the Golden Quadrilateral, the initiatives promise state-of-the-art ‘plug-and-play’ infrastructure ready for immediate use, inclusive of essentials like potable water and round-the-clock electricity.
Goyal emphasized the government’s efforts to streamline land acquisition and environmental clearances to ease the investment process, highlighting a single-window clearance system to expedite approvals.
In coordination with Invest India, the government is poised to promote these projects, establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for their execution with a targeted completion within three years, contingent on state cooperation.
This move aligns with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s earlier budget announcement to set up 12 industrial parks as part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP), aiming to develop investment-ready industrial zones in conjunction with state and private sector partners.
Goyal mentioned previous challenges with land allocation in states like Odisha and proposals from West Bengal, underscoring the necessity of state collaboration for project success.
Projected to act as springboards for achieving a $2 trillion export target by 2030, these new cities will be developed as greenfield smart cities adhering to global standards, designed to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, supporting the government’s vision of nurturing economic zones that are economically dynamic yet environmentally responsible.
