Gujarat - Projects and Development

[GJ10]

We will have see confirmation later on from Maruti, but Amd Mirror are announcing the site for Maruti Suzukis plant. Interestingly, not in Sanand, but in "Hansalpur-Sitalpur", nr Becharaji (I had to google where these places are)

Maruti Darshan at Becharaji

Maruti Suzuki has found a home in Gujarat for its new manufacturing plant. Government sources confirmed to Mirror that after sufficient scouting Maruti has zeroed in on land near Hansalpur-Sitapur crossroads, located nearly 110 kms from Ahmedabad.

The officials claimed that Maruti Suzuki has agreed to this land and formalities have almost been completed. The land falls in Ahmedabad district and is just two kilometres from the famous Becharaji temple.

Sources told Mirror that Maruti was earlier interested in buying 500 acres of land. However, since this land — located at the fag end of Ahmedabad district and beginning of Mehsana — is cheaper than Sanand and is being offered at highly concessional rates, Maruti struck a deal for 1,000 acres.

Since the incentives offered are quite attractive, the company may also consider buying 300 acres more, sources said. The plant site is 275 kms from Mundra port and is well-connected to its Gurgaon headquarters by road.

LAND PRICES UP

A source in Mandal mamlatdar office told Mirror, “The deal with Maruti has been finalised at around Rs 13 lakh per bigha. The site located at 110 km from Ahmedabad is spread over 1,000 acres approximately. Easy availability of water, electricity and cheap labour also helped Maruti seal the deal.”

“As usual, considering our pro-business and pro-industrialist policy, land has been allocated at very nominal rates to Maruti,” a government official claimed.

He added, “Panic buying in the area has already begun with a lot of builders from Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Vadodara making a beeline to purchase land in this area. In last 48 hours alone, land prices in the area have shot up by more than 50 per cent, anticipating lot of industrial movement in the area. The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation(GIDC) has also purchased land just opposite the Maruti plant site,” the official claimed.

UNREALISTIC PRICES

Gujarat government was keen that Maruti sets up its plant near the Nano site near Sanand. The company was also scouting in Dholera where the biggest town planning scheme of the country is going to take shape. It has finally chosen the Hansalpur-Sitapur area. The new Maruti manufacturing facility is situated in an area that is directly connected to Viramgam and Surendranagar by road. Sources said the government is also planning to construct a four-lane road from Palavasana to Mehsana and Bahucharaji, which will provide impetus to development and religious tourism in the region.

Anil Patel, a businessman in Becharaji said, “The cost of roadside land on the three-km Bahucharaji-Hansalpur stretch is nearly Rs 15 lakh per bigha. Three months ago, the land price towards the interiors was approximately Rs 4 lakh per bigha, but now farmers are demanding Rs 10-11 lakh per bigha. They have been quoting unrealistic prices as they are not in a hurry to sell it. They are well aware of the fact that once the plant is set up, they’ll get the price they quote.”

“With the government slashing the premium on jantri by 50 per cent in case of conversion of new tenure agricultural land into non-agricultural land for housing, industry, education and health purpose, commercial activities will increase. Medium and small enterprises will flourish here. The villages in the region will get converted into towns within five years,” said Anil Patel, a businessman in Bahucharaji.

BOOST TO RELIGIOUS TOURISM

Devendra Shah, a Bahucharaji resident, is optimistic that Maruti’s new facility will boost commercial development in the region. “It will generate jobs for villagers residing in Bahucharaji, Hansalpur and Sitapur and usher in prosperity. Nearly 50 per cent of the people residing in these villages belong to the Thakor community involved in farming and labour work.”

He added, “Every day, we see 10-15 cars doing the rounds of the area. The visitors come from Ahmedabad, Kalol, Surat, Patan and Mehsana. Some well-known real estate groups have been sending their agents to negotiate deals. They think that if villagers come to know that the builder’s lobby is interested, they’ll further increase the land price.”

Businessman Girish Patel, who owns 400 bighas of land in Bahucharaji, said, “In the last one-and-a-half months I have been getting a lot of enquiries from land buyers, which was not the case earlier.”

Bahucharaji resident Rakesh Vyas said, “State government has already sanctioned Rs 32 crore for developing religious tourism. Now with Maruti setting up plant here, the region is all set for a stunning makeover.”

MUNDRA CLOSER

Maruti exports around 1.38 lakh cars to Europe and Africa every year. Of these over one lakh cars are exported from a special export unit at Mundra Port. From its new manufacturing plant, Maruti will be able to transport its fleet more easily. An officer claimed, “For the price Maruti could have bought 500 acres in Sanand, it could easily buy over 1,300 acres in Hansalpur-Sitapur since land is much cheaper here.”

It must, however, be noted that Maruti registered a steep decline in its sales recently. A manufacturing plant in Gujarat is expected to boost its export potential too. Currently, all its cars are manufactured in Haryana and transported by road to Mundra Port – the transportation cost per car comes up to Rs 25,000.

“With this new manufacturing facility in Hansalpur-Sitapur area, Maruti is expected to save Rs 185 crore in transportation costs alone,” the source claimed. Company’s managing director Shinzo Nakanishi and chairman RC Bhargava had met Chief Minister Narendra Modi sometime ago with the proposal of setting up a manufacturing unit in Gujarat with the capacity of producing 1 million cars per annum.

The government had hoped Maruti would choose the 1,100-hectare land next to the Nano plant. Originally, this plot belonged to the research institute of Anand Agricultural University. Now this land is owned by the revenue department. The government had hoped Maruti would avail itself of the infrastructure developed by it for the Nano plant. However, the market price of the land was Rs 2,000 per sq m, making it a costly proposition for Maruti which had posted steep decline in sales.

1.5 LAKH JOBS

Maruti chairman had revealed that the firm would invest Rs 6,000 crore to establish a vendor park and supporting infrastructure in the future. The total investment that Maruti is expected to sink in to Gujarat is a whopping Rs 12,000 crore in two phases. So, the location where Maruti sets shop is expected to see investment of at least Rs 15,000 crore as auto ancillary companies seeking to produce components for Maruti are expected to set shop close by.

They said that the facility would generate more than 1.50 lakh jobs. The officials also discussed plans to enhance the proposed plant’s capacity by another one million units and setting up of a vendor park during future expansion.

Modi has been marketing Gujarat as an global automobile manufacturing hub with companies like Ford, PSA Peugeot and Tata Motors opening up their facilities here. After Maruti, Hero Honda and Bajaj are also expected to come to Gujarat. With all these companies setting up shop in Gujarat, the state is being dubbed as New Chennai – till now Chennai was the preferred location of automobile manufacturers. However Modi’s no-hassle land acquisition policy for automobile sector coupled with best incentives in the country is making companies queue up to buy land in Gujarat.

‘NOBODY CAN MATCH GUJARAT’S OFFERS’

“So what if we are providing attractive incentives? In return, the industries would also be contributing to Gujarat a historic growth story,” an officer said. He refused to divulge details when asked whether these auto companies were actually generating employment to the extent they had promised.

American carmaker Ford recently announced its plans to invest Rs 4,000 crore to set up its second plant in India at Sanand, hoping to boost market share in the automobile industry. However as an auto sector analyst pointed out, most automobile companies are facing a steep slow down and are in dire need of cheap land and extra incentives. “Nobody can match Gujarat’s offers,” he said.

After Modi had tweeted Swagatam Ford earlier this week, a couple of Americans had posted nasty comments on twitter suggesting jobs were being offshored because of cheap labour. But as the analyst pointed out that emerging markets like India, Russia, Brazil and China were all set to be most important sales destinations. The reason auto companies were choosing the state was because it offered amazing incentives, unheard of even in countries like China.

Hansalpur-Sitalpur is on the way between Sanand and the Ports of Kutch, if the report is true, i believe it will have been chosen over Santalpur to be closer to the ancillary industries as well as cheaper land than Sanand.

Mehsana is the closest city, (approx 40km away), and it is due to be an investment region in the later stages of the DMIC.

[Aditya Jadeja]

Yippee...Maruti is all set to enter Gujarat with a huge manufacturing plant .

Osamo Suzuki to meet Narendra Modi tomorrow for establishing a new car plant.

Hats off to you Mr Modi for helping make Gujarat come on the auto hub map.


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/9898552.cms

[aks_sky]

'Inequality shrinks, rural Guj grows faster than urban areas'

The urban-rural divide in Gujarat is shrinking as far as income generation and employment opportunities are concerned.
In a first such attempt to study urban-rural income inequality at state level, a research paper by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) suggests that rural areas are growing faster than urban parts in Gujarat and are catching up with the urban population in income and savings.
Interestingly, the positive change is observed in Gujarat when at the national level rural population is seriously lagging behind its urban counterpart in terms of income, consumptions and savings.
The paper, 'Estimating Urban and Rural Incomes in Gujarat, 1993-94 to 2004-2005', is by IIMA's Prof Ravindra Dholakia and Manish B Pandya, department of economics and statistics (DE&S), Government of Gujarat.
Dholakia told DNA that the results of the findings are very satisfying as the surveyed period only measures benefits to rural Gujarat before the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited project. He also said that with progress, employment opportunities for rural population in the state will further increase and the divide will shrink further.
The study finds that urban- rural inequality in Gujarat (2.3) was almost the same as the national level (2.4) in 1993-94 but declined to 2.0 by 2004-05 while it increased to 2.7 for the nation. There have been considerable structural changes in the urban and rural economies over time in Gujarat. Urban areas are becoming more service oriented, whereas rural areas are becoming more industrialised. Contrary to the general perception, large-scale industries are predominantly rural activities and small-scale industries are largely urban activities, states the paper.

source: Dna epaper

[vibrant]

Bergner India to set up manufacturing unit in Gujarat

Bergner India, an Indian subsidiary of Austrian kitchenware making company Bergner is looking for land in Gujarat to set up its manufacturing facility in the state.

The company is considering places including Dahej near Bharuch for the proposed plant, a top company official informed here on Saturday.
Bergner launched its stainless steel, die cast and ceramic varieties of kitchenware in Gujarat market today. The parent company, Bergner Austria has manufacturing facilities in countries like China, Italy and Thailand.

The company's first manufacturing facility in India is likely to be located in Gujarat.

"Looking at the growth potential in the Indian kitchenware market, we are planning to have our own manufacturing facility. Gujarat will be our preferred destination for the same," said Devendra Shrimal, chief executive officer, Bergner India.

"At present, we are in the process of identifying location for our manufacturing facility in the state. Project's financial details and product specifications are yet to be worked out. But Gujarat is our priority to set up the facility as it is more convenient to market our products to the European market from here," Shrimal said. Currently, the company outsources its production to local manufacturing units in southern India.

Bergner is aggressive about Indian market as the company is looking to capture about 3 per cent of India's Rs 5000-crore kitchenware market by 2011-12 and increase it to about 5 per cent by 2012-13. Country's kitchenware market is largely fragmented and unorganised, while organised players hold nearly Rs 1500 crore of the total market size in India.

"We have an inclusive product portfolio of kitchenware to offer in Indian market. With a mix of high-end cook ware and value-for-money range of kitchenware, we aim to tap tier-1 cities initially and from 2012 onwards we would also increase our presence in the tier-2 cities," said Shrimal.

The company currently offers four of its kitchenware brands in India, of which Kaiserhoff is one of the largest selling brands in India.

[vibrant]

Six cities in Gujarat to be developed as twin centres

AHMEDABAD: Following in the footsteps of Hyderabad-Secundarabad and Surat-Navsari, the state government has decided to develop six more cities in Gujarat as twin cities.

The Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) has taken up the study to develop Surendranagar-Wadhwan, Morbi-Wakaner and Bharuch-Ankleshwar as twin cities. GIDB officials said that with cities coming closer to each other, the state government has decided to have a twin-city development policy for the cities in the state.

The twin-city study for Surat-Navsari has already been conducted and is under consideration by the state government. Officials said that the GIDB is now in the process of selecting consultants for twin-city development studies for Surendranagar-Wadhwan, Morbi-Wakaner and Bharuch-Ankleshwar.

Minister of state for industries Saurabh Patel said, "GIDB will have consultants for the study and once the study is complete, further steps will be taken."

Also on priority for these twin-city projects are enhancing the social and environmental climate of these cities through effective strategic planning, improvement of service delivery, capital investment programming and to suggest development project benefits.

GIDB officials said that the twin-city concept will pool in infrastructure and increase dependency of the cities on each other. The concept will also develop the infrastructure in each of the cities. Officials said both the urban centres will have a common town planning scheme. He added that there would be one civic authority to decide on the means of transport and the development in the area. Long term planning for the two cities will also be taken up for both cities together.

The two cities will also have special investment zones. Citing an example, the officer said that with the ceramic industry flourishing in the Morbi-Wakaner stretch, these two cities would be developed as a special zone for the ceramic industries.

Officials said other issues like present and future land use plan, traffic and transportation pattern and future needs, environmental issues, sanitation and other infrastructure will also be addressed.

"The government may include more cities in the near future," a source added.

[sgupadhyay2000]

Originally Posted by vibrant

Six cities in Gujarat to be developed as twin centres

This concept is going on since feb10.That time Industries and mines department principal secretary told thatconcrete shape will be given to the plan for integrated and comprehensive development of the two cities bharuch and Ankleshwar & now state govermentofficial said that GIDB is now in the process of selecting consultants for twin-city development studies for Surendranagar-Wadhwan, Morbi-Wakaner and Bharuch-Ankleshwar.

Till process for selecting consultnat is going on???
When exact status of this project will comeout?

[0Roller]

AHMEDABAD: After the development of Dwarka and Somnath as major pilgrim centres by Gujarat tourism, it is now turn for Ambaji to don a new avatar. The state tourism department plans to upgrade infrastructure at this pilgrimage and also set up replicas of Shaktipeeths.

The temple is thronged by 90 lakh to 1 crore devotees every year. Officials of Gujarat tourism department who have taken up the project said devotees of Goddess Amba will now be able to undertake the entire pilgrimage of Shaktipeeths or temples located in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Mansarovar in Tibet in Gujarat itself.

The tourism department has initiated the construction of replicas of 51 Shaktipeeths around Mount Gabbar in Ambaji. The replicas will be constructed by the Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devsthan Trust, which has launched the project of the replica construction worth over Rs 35 crore. Officials said that these Shaktipeeths will be erected on a 2.5-km-road which is being constructed.

"Apart from the construction of the Shaktipeeths and a parikrama path, the temple will have a new gate at the temple town and even at Mount Gabbar," said tourism secretary Vipul Mitra. The entire development of the town would cost around Rs 50 crore. He added that the development work has begun and it is likely to be completed within two years.

Tourism officials said that the main attraction for the entire development is the Gabbar area. It will have a well-paved three kilometre parikrama route with stopovers. The temple will also have a light show with a combination of lights that will display a unique pattern throughout the night.

The parikrama path will have special lighting along with additional architectural illumination of all structures on special occasions.

The town will also have a permanent exhibition and a mini hall for cultural events. Officials said there is currently no underground sewerage network in the temple town and adjoining developed areas and will get a proper drainage system. There will also be a comprehensive solid water collection, treatment and disposal system. Moreover, the town will have a proper hospital with quarters for medical and paramedical staff.

Source: TOI

[aks_sky]

I saw all that in progress when i went there a few months ago. Ambaji has changed heaps!!

[vibrant]

Suzuki to pick Gujarat for new $1.3 bln plant-Kyodo

TOKYO/MUMBAI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor will likely locate a planned $1.3 billion passenger car factory in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Wednesday, as the automaker looks to expand capacity in its key market .

The report came two days after the company said it wanted to end its alliance with Volkswagen, a tie-up that had been expected to help Europe's biggest car maker expand on the Indian subcontinent.

"We haven't come to a decision yet. We plan to announce the location of the plant by the end of October," Suzuki spokesman Ei Mochizuki told Reuters. He added, however, that the automaker's chairman and CEO, Osamu Suzuki, visited Gujarat last week.

Commenting on the factory, a Maruti Suzuki spokesman in New Delhi said: "Nothing has been finalised yet."

Suzuki controls about half the Indian car market through a 54.2 percent stake in the country's top car maker , Maruti Suzuki .

If it adds capacity in Gujarat, the automaker will join rivals who are building plants in the business-friendly state, turning it into an upcoming auto hub.

Maruti Suzuki currently operates two manufacturing facilities at Gurgaon and Manesar , both in north India, with total manufacturing capacity of one million cars per year.

In July, Ford Motor Co said it w ould build a $900 million production plant at Sanand in Gujarat, doubling its investment in a country where foreign car makers have been ramping up investment, attracted by a growing market.

Earlier this month, PSA Peugeot Citroen said it was investing around 650 million euros ($933 million) to build a new manufacturing plant in the same city.

Tata Motors also makes the Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, in Sanand .

Car sales in India, the world's second-fastest growing major auto market after China, rose at a breakneck 30 percent pace in 2010/11 , but have f a ll en in both July and August , the first time in nearly three years, as high interest rates and rising costs hit demand .

LABOUR TROUBLES

Maruti Suzuki said last month it expected to post single-digit sales growth this fiscal year, a far cry from its 25-percent climb last year, due to tightening demand and rising competition from the likes of South Korea's Hyundai Motors and domestic rivals.

The company has also battled labour disputes at its factories in north India.

In June, about 800 workers went on a 13-day strike at its Manesar plant in north India, crippling production and leading to more than $90 million in lost output.

Production at the same plant has been severely hit since workers walked out on Aug. 29 after the firm dismissed some workers for sabotaging production and demanded all workers sign a "good conduct bond".

It is already building a second unit at Manesar to add production capability of another 250,000 vehicles a year, scheduled for completion by April 2012. ($1 = 76.880 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds and Tim Kelly in TOKYO and Prashant Mehra; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan and Anshuman Daga)

[GJ10]

xposted in Indian Auto Industry thread

Gujarats emergence as Auto-Hub is positive for the country

Several domestic and foreign auto manufacturers have either announced plans to establish manufacturing plants in Gujarat or are considering it as a possible location.

Those establishing the plants include the US-based Ford Motor and PSA Peugeot Citroen from France, joining India’s Tata Motors, General Motors of US, Bombardier of Canada and Asia Motor Works (AMW), a heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Auto ancillary hubs, which are critical for a thriving auto hub, are located in Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Vadodara, and more to come in Kutch and Sanand districts. A precision engineering park is planned to come up in Dahej.

Domestic companies that are considering to enter Gujarat, with the exception of Maruti Suzuki, include Hero MotorCorp (formerly Hero Honda), Bajaj Auto and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), a public sector company specialising in production of aircraft and helicopters.

Gujarat’s auto hub thus goes beyond the production of cars. The mix of domestic and foreign auto companies also provides opportunities for skills transfer and learning.

Total installed capacity of Tamil Nadu, mainly around Chennai, is 1.28 million units, and is among the top 10 centres globally for car manufacturing, while that of Maharashtra, mainly around Pune, is 0.61 million units. With the entry of Ford and Peugeot, Gujarat’s production capacity, mainly around Sanand, is projected at 0.76 million by 2014. This will rise significantly if Maruti’s production, largely for export, comes on stream.

Gujarat’s currently established but relatively mid-sized auto ancillary units are getting a boost from these automakers, referred to as OE (original equipment) procedures, asking their tier I, II and III vendors to locate manufacturing and assembly facilities in and around their main production sites. Tata, for example, is encouraging and facilitating key vendors to locate to Sanand and set up a facility within a reasonable time horizon.

Gujarat’s emergence as an auto hub is not an accident, but an outcome of leveraging its strengths through sound economic policies and competent management by the state government.

Gujarat has leveraged its locational advantages, with relatively low transaction costs for accessing markets in the western and northern India. Good rail connectivity is slated to improve significantly with the opening of the dedicated freight corridors to Dahej and Nhava Sheva passing through large parts of Gujarat. Sanand is also a part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), a multi-billion dollar India-Japan initiative. The Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor project will provide excellent rail connectivity for the auto sector in Sanand and for other industries.

Gujarat’s port development initiatives are closely coordinated with rail transport. These provide access for exports to the West, a favoured market for Indian OE. Since 2009, Maruti has been shipping cars by rail from Manesar to the Mundra Port, where there is a roll-on-roll-off (RORO), terminal for receiving and prepping new cars for exports. Korean automakers are also exploring this option.

Gujarat’s port development also could permit economical transportation to other parts of the country, through viable coastal shipping routes which is yet to take off, thus diversifying transport modes.

Developing domestic and international financial services, improving road and air connectivity and focusing on affordable housing and other amenities could further add to Gujarat’s locational advantage.

One of the advantages of Gujarat is the larger share of non-fertile agricultural land. This potentially makes managing the requirements of industry for land easier. Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) deserves credit for turning the above potential into actual accomplishments.

As many of the established tier I, II and III manufacturers in Tamil Nadu and Delhi are faced with space and environmental constraints in expanding their operations in their historic sites, they are exploring alternate avenues. Gujarat’s land bank could thus be an attractive factor.

Sanand is a part of special investment region, which permits firms investing there to avail various fiscal and non-fiscal benefits, reducing project costs, including time for completing the project cycle.

The Gujarat government recognises the importance of overall conducive investment environment in attracting investments rather than merely relying on tax incentives. This policy lesson is applicable to the investment and manufacturing zones (NIMZs) under the national manufacturing policy (NMP) which is being finalised. It envisages around five greenfield integrated industrial townships.

Another noteworthy policy initiative is establishment of an automotive skills development institute at Sanand on a public private partnership basis by Gujarat government and Peugeot Citroen. This approach to human capital development will serve, India, Gujarat and the new entrants well as they will have access to a younger work force, well trained in modern manufacturing techniques with skills honed around the productivity needs of the future.

There are several reasons why Gujarat’s emergence as an auto hub is a positive for India’s economy. First, the auto sector is a mother industry and for every direct job in the OE, minimum 5-7 indirect jobs are created in tier I, II and III, not including jobs for drivers, service station attendants and mechanics that form a well paying proposition for many relatively less skilled, but aspirational Indians.

Secondly, importance of transport equipment, which includes all types of motorised vehicles, in India’s trade has been increasing. Its share in India’s exports rose from 2.3% in 2000-01 to 7.8% in April-February 2010-11; while the corresponding share for imports soar from 1.4% to 2.5%. The emergence of Gujarat as an auto hub is expected to assist in India’s external trade in transport equipment as exports are likely to constitute a significant proportion of auto sector’s output from Gujarat.

Many European OE are building their design and engineering back offices in India, providing job opportunities for the design, hardware and software engineers. This will help India to develop a niche position globally and diversify its export basket.

Thirdly, healthy competition among auto hubs in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat will be a positive for the manufacturing productivity. This is because such competition will mitigate against complacency by each of them and contain costs.

Finally, it would assist India in progressing towards the goal of increasing the share of manufacturing in GDP from 16% in 2010 to 25% by 2022. It could also assist in India’s international competitiveness in manufacturing as PTAs (preferential trade agreements) with economic partners with strong manufacturing sectors, such as China, Japan, and Korea, are implemented.

[Aditya Jadeja]

Within a few months Israel will be getting a delegation of Israeli auto component manufacturers to explore the possibilities of setting up their plants in Gujarat.

This will surely boost the auto sector in the state.

Israel is already working closely with Gujarat on Farming / Agricultural technologies , Dairy and Food processing and water saving techniques...!!

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...-state/449713/

[Aditya Jadeja]

The work on the Ahmedabad Metro Link express is going to begin by end of this year and the first stretch between Gandhinagar - Ahmedabad will be operational by 2015.

There are plans to connect Sanand and other industrial areas of Ahmedabad with the Airport.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2473455.ece

[NitinPatel]

Warren Buffet’s firm to set up US $ 245 million JV plant in Gujarat

image hosted on flickr


Mr. Tom Frubus, head of America’s famous company Lubrizol corporation and Shri Sandip Engineer, Managing Director of Astral Polytechnic today called on Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi and briefed him about their plan to set up Lurbizol-Astral CPVC industrial project JV in central Gujarat’s Bharuch district based Dahej GIDC.

A decision to set up this plant with investment of US$ 245 million has been taken after Mr. Warren Buffet took charge of Lubrizol corporation, said Mr. Tom Frubus.

Construction of proposed industrial unit will begin in January 2013 while production will start in October 2014.

Thanks to Dahej port, CPVC products are in great demand not only in India, but also in south east Asia, middle east and African countries.

Principal Secretary of Industry department Mr. Maheshwar Sahu was also present in this meeting.

[vibrant]

Four rings on four wheels: Audi likely to enter Gujarat

Jaipur: After Tata, Ford, Peugeot and Maruti, it seems to be the turn of premium car manufacturer, Audi to seriously consider entering Gujarat.

The luxury carmaker, popular for its emblem of four rings, believes that Gujarat is the right investment destination for automobile companies.

"Gujarat has good port connectivity for exports. Secondly, it has got good industrial policy and the state is well connected to the upcoming Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Gujarat, in recent times, has come up as an interesting investment destination," said head, Audi India, Michael Perschke.

Speaking on the sidelines of Audi's A - Drive Experience at Jaipur, Perschke said that the foreign direct investment (FDIs) inflow in Maharashtra has gone down. "And Gujarat is gaining in FDIs. If conditions are favourable and chief minister of Gujarat gives his consent for Audi, then I see no reason why we will not come to Gujarat," he said.

Recently, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Mukesh Ambani had announced in public that in coming time, Gujarat can become automotive hub of Asia. According to Perschke, Pune and Chennai are the auto industrial pockets. "But in last one and half years, Gujarat has come into the radar after Pune and southern part of the country. Interestingly, Gujarat has become a promising destination for investment," said Perschke. "Gujarat is attracting investment because of some good work by chief minister of the state," he added.

At present, Audi is assembling the Audi A6 and the Audi A4 for the Indian market in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. But in future, if Audi sets up its plant in Gujarat, it can also export from here. "Gujarat has also got good port connectivity for exports," he said.

Gujarat contributes around 7% to the national sales of Audi. "For us, Ahmedabad is fifth largest selling destination in the country.

The top five cities contributing maximum sales to Audi are Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad," said Perschke.

[NitinPatel]

Chambal Fertilisers to set up a single super phosphate plant at Dahej in Gujarat


In a statement issued to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Chemicals and fertilisers maker Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd (CFCL) informed that the board of directors of the company has granted approval to wset up a single super phosphate (SSP) plant at Dahej in Bharuch district of Gujarat at an approximate investment of Rs 122 crore with an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes.

The company is also setting up a SSP plant at its existing factory premises at Gadepan in Kota district of Rajasthan with an investment of about Rs 32.50 crore. The plant at Gadepan will have an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes of capacity.

Chambal markets its SSP product under the brand name of Uttam SSP.

[harendrain]

Gujarat Budget for 2011-12 had approved Rs 2400 crores for Two Highway projects ie 6 laning of Ahmedabad-Dholka-Dholera-Bhavanagar SH & Four laning of Bhavanagar-Rajkot SH. Can any one provide further information on physical progress on ground?

[NitinPatel]

Neesa Leisure Ltd to launch Coral brand budget hotels in Gandhinagar and Dahej

Gujarat-based Neesa Leisure Ltd will launch budget class hotels under the Coral brand in Gandhinagar(Gujarat), Dahej (Gujarat), Abu Road, Nasik, Lucknow and Raipur.

The new property, having about 32-new rooms in Gandhinagar, is adjacent the existing property operated under the brand of Cambay Spa & Golf resorts. The rooms at the new property in Gandhinagar will be available at Rs 3,000 per day.

[aks_sky]

Govt forms science centre in every district

AHMEDABAD: The state government and private organization have taken up the challenge to create future scientists from grassroots. As the first step towards the goal, the state has created community science centres (CSC) in every district of the state.

"These resource centres at the rural level offer environment for learning, work as informal learning centre for schools and promote interest in careers in science, mathematics and technology," said Ravi S Saxena, additional chief secretary, department of science and technology, at the conclusion of an orientation programme at Raisan near Gandhinagar. tnn

A total of 75 CSC coordinators, science communicator and DIET principals across the state participated in event.

"The hands-on approach of the centers increases creativity and positive attitude toward science in the students," said Narottam Sahoo, Advisor to GUJCOST.

[Aditya Jadeja]

Two days into the Gujarati New Year, and Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country’s largest car manufacturer, announced that it is setting up its next car manufacturing plant in Gujarat.

Maruti Suzuki, which commands more than 50% market share in the country, said on Saturday that its board has approved land purchase for the new facility in Gujarat. The company could invest up to Rs 18,000 crore in the state.

Vikram Samvat 2068 has begun on a good note for Gujarat. Two days into the Gujarati New Year, and Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country’s largest car manufacturer, announced that it is setting up its next car manufacturing plant in Gujarat.

Maruti Suzuki, which commands more than 50% market share in the country, said on Saturday that its board has approved land purchase for the new facility in Gujarat. The company could invest up to Rs18,000 crore in the state.

Following its board meeting on Saturday morning, Maruti Suzuki said in a release that the board had granted approval to purchase land in Mehsana district for future expansion of manufacturing facilities.

"The proposed plant in Mehsana would help boost exports due to the location's proximity to a port," Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava told a news channel after announcing the company's second quarter results.

Maruti Suzuki plans to invest up to Rs18,000 crore for future expansion. It would invest Rs6,000 crore for a plant having capacity to produce 10 lakh cars per annum, and a similar amount in the second phase for another plant of similar capacity. In also plans to build a vendor park and supporting infrastructure with an investment of a further Rs6,000 crore. Discussions have been going on between the state government and Maruti officials for the past few months over the modalities of setting up the plant in the state. Suzuki Motor Corporation chairman Osamu Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava had met Chief Minister Narendra Modi and evinced interest in investing in Gujarat.

The company requires around 500 - 600 acre land for the plant, and a further 500 acre for vendors. Sources said that state government has earmarked 500 acre land near Bechraji for the project. "With the Maruti Suzuki board giving the formal approval, the formalities for transferring the land to the company are likely to be completed soon," said a senior official of industries department.


http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report...ujarat_1604946

[NitinPatel]

TBEA signs MoU with Gujarat govt for Green energy park in Karjan


In the wake of upcoming visit of Gujarat’s Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi to China, today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Government of Gujarat and TBEA Energy (India) Private Ltd, a Chinese firm to develop Green Energy Park in Karjan near Vadodara. On behalf of the State Government, the MoU was signed by Mr. Maheshwar Sahu, Principal Secretary (Industries & Mines). Mr. Zhang Xin, Chairman, TBEA Energy (India) Pvt. Ltd. signed the MoU on behalf of the Chinese firm in the presence of Union Minister for Commerce & Industries Shri Anand Sharma and Governor of Xin Jiang province Mr. Nuer Baikeli.

On this occasion, the Ambassador of China to India HE Mr. Zhang Yan and Mr. Bharat Lal, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Gujarat along with Mr. Peng Gang, Counselor (Economic & Commercial), were also present. From Government of India, Shri Gautam Bamabawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and Mr. Talleen Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and other officials participated in the event.

TBEA Energy (India) Private Limited will invest Rs. 2,500 crore on the“TBEA Green Energy Park”Project. In the first phase, they will be investing Rs. 400 crore and work is likely to start immediately. First Phase of the project consists of building “TBEA Ultra High Voltage Transformer Plant” and production is expected to start next year. TBEA is the 3rdlargest company of the world in the sector. The company will bring clean and latest technology in India.

On this occasion, HE the Governor of Xin Jiang province Mr. Nuer Baikeli expressed his happiness over the increasing economic cooperation with India and Gujarat. Union Minister Shri Annad Sharma congratulated the Chairman of TBEA and hoped that they will bring more investment in India as country provides a great opportunity for doing business and making investment. He hoped that economic and business cooperation between both the countries will further increase.

To enable the investment by the TBEA Energy (India), the Government of Gujarat (GOG) will facilitate the company in obtaining necessary permissions and registrations from the State and Central Governments. The Government of Gujarat will also assist TBEA Energy (India) Private Limited in availing incentives, wherever applicable, under various schemes announced by the Government of Gujarat and the Government of India.

To ensure the completion and smooth operation of the “TBEA Green Energy Park” project, the Government of Gujarat will facilitate provisioning of necessary infrastructure.

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi is known for promoting new technologies in the sector to produce clean energy and State has become the focus of activities in clean energy technology and renewable energy production. In fact, recently on 3rdOctober, 2011, a one-day meet was held in Gujarat on renewable energy wherein Danish embassy officials and a large number of Danish and other European companies participated. During the seminar, few major investments in renewable energy sector have also been finalized. On 26th November, 2011, Gujarat Government in collaboration with Denmark is organizing a meet on energy efficiency wherein a very large number European companies especially Danish companies are going to participate.

In last few years, Gujarat has become the natural destination for major companies in all sectors. The manufacturing sector in Gujarat is on high and daily more and more companies are coming to Gujarat, where environment is highly conducive with all round peace supported by excellent infrastructure and basic services. The state is setting s very high standard for others to follow and give further push to economic development in the country.