ANANTAPUR | Odyssey Science City | Cancelled

Ashok Das
Hyderabad, January 26, 2007

The name has changed from Bangalore to Bengaluru, and some big foreign investors are planning to challenge its reputation too.

India's Silicon Valley, groaning under infrastructural problems, should brace up for stiff competition. A consortium of four Australia and Singapore-based companies are planning to set up a state-of-the-art integrated science city, at Odicheruvu in Andhra Pradesh, barely 200 km, a three-hour-drive, from Bangalore to attract high technology industries with unprecedented facilities.

The investor consortium consists of Australia's Springfield Land Corporation and Macquarie Bank and Singapore's Jurong International Group and Semb Corp Industries. The city built over 10 years with a foreign direct investment of $25 billion provide a platform for 500 companies to establish their branches in every field of manufacturing, travel, commerce, financial services, retailing and transportation, Andhra officials said.

The Odyssey Science City, fashioned on the lines of Australia's Greater Springfield, would come up in an area of 65,000 acres spread over two revenue territories in Anantapur district. It will provide direct employment to 15 lakh people and indirect employment to another 10 lakh.

The first three years alone will see an investment of $3 billion.

An agreement to set up the venture was signed by KRK Reddy, Andhra Pradesh's Additional Secretary (Industries), on behalf of the state government and Bob Sharpless, managing director, Springfield Land Corporation, in the presence Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in Hyderabad.

"We are all excited about the announcement of Odyssey Science City in an area that has been perennially drought-prone and most backward in the state," Reddy said and assured all assistance from the state government, besides facilitating clearances from the central government for the project.

Springfield's Sharpless said the project envisaged a self-contained, hi-tech complex with its own comprehensive infrastructure, including power, expressways, telecom networks, desalination plants, biotech parks, special economic zones (SEZs), IT/Biotech parks, industrial parks, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels and amusement parks.

"The Odyssey Science City intends to develop the Science City as a national centre for technology and innovations, information technology and supercomputing, hi-tech manufacturing industries, software development, biotechnology, bio-pharmaceuticals, advanced research and development, artificial intelligence, industrial robotics, high-tech manufacturing industries, export-oriented centres, media and telecommunications, education, finance and banking, tourism and entertainment, fine arts, medical and healthcare services," Sharpless said.

The government will hand over 25,000 acres of land in the first phase and the remaining 40,000 acres in the second phase.

The government will also reserve a 10-km-stretch of green fields around the Science city and a 200-metre corridor on each side of the archway of the roads which are being built. The developers require 10 to 12 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet of water for the construction of the project in the first year which will subsequently be increased from the second year onwards.

The developers will also set up a power project for captive generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

Email Ashok Das: [email protected]

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International science city to come up in Anantapur dist
Friday January 26 2007 11:41 IST
HYDERABAD: The hinterland of the most backward Anantapur district will witness a sea-change within a decade with a consortium of high profile companies from Australia and Singapore announcing its plans to establish Odyssey Science City.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the State Government and the consortia which include Macquarie Bank and Springfield Land Corporation of Australia and Jurang International group and Semb Corp of Singapore in the presence of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy here on Thursday.

The Odyssey Science City intended to develop the Science City as a National center for information technology & supercomputing, biotechnology, advanced research and development, artificial intelligence, industrial robotics, high tech manufacturing industries, export oriented centers, media and tele-communication, tourism and entertainment, education, fine arts, medical and health care and finance & banking.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the project is expected to be to the tune of US $ 25 billion and would provide a platform for 500 companies to establish their branches in every field of manufacturing, travel, commerce, financial services, retailing transportation etc.

The project, which would come up on 65,000 acres in O D Cheruvu and Amadagur mandals of Anantapur district, is estimated to provide direct employment to about 15 lakh and indirect jobs to another 10 lakh people.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajasekhara Reddy assured the developers all assistance from the State Government besides facilitating clearances from the Centre. “We are all excited about the project, that too in an area which is perennially drought prone and most backward in the State,” he said.

According to the officials of the Industries department, the Government would hand-over 25,000 acres in the first phase and the balance land in second phase. The Government would also reserve a 10 km of green field around OSC and a 200 m corridor on each side of the archery of the road, which are being built.

The developers require 10 to 12 tmcft water for the construction of the project in the first year which will subsequently be increased from second year onwards. The developers will also set up a power project for captive generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

The promoters have to finance, design and distribute telecommunications in the project area and the State Government will take up with the Centre the extension of broad gauge railway lines as required. The State Government will also request the Centre to extent all concessions and exemptions and duties that may be levied for import of plant machinery for the project. Jurong India CEO Rao Munukutla, Springfield Land Corporation managing director Bob Sharpless, Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Queensland Government of Australia David Belham and others spoke.

* The project will come up on 65,000 acres in OD Cheruvu and Amadagur mandals of Anantapur district * FDI is expected to be to the tune of $ 25 billion and will provide a platform for 500 companies
* Estimated to provide direct employment to about 15 lakh and indirect jobs to another 10 lakh people.

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HYDERABAD: A state-of-the-art integrated science city will come up in Andhra Pradesh's drought-prone Anantapur district with an investment of $25 billion over 10 years by a consortium of four Australian and Singaporean companies.

The Odyssey Science City will come up on 65,000 acres between Odicheruvu and Ammadiguda in Anantapur, about 400 km from here.An MoU for developing the city was signed on Thursday between the state government and the consortium, which comprises Springfield Land Corporation and Macquarie Bank from Australia and Singapore's Juron International Group and Semb Corp Industries. The consortium will invest about $3 billion in the next three years to build the ultra-modern integrated township on 10,000 acres.

The project envisages a self-contained, hi-tech complex with its own comprehensive infrastructure, including power, expressways, telecom networks, desalination plants, biotech parks, special economic zones, IT/biotech parks, industrial parks, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels and amusement parks.

It will become a national centre for IT and supercomputing, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, high-tech manufacturing industries, export oriented centres, media and telecommunications, tourism and entertainment, medical and health and finance and banking. The project will provide a platform to 500 companies to establish their branches in every field of manufacturing, travel, commerce, financial services, retailing and transportation.

According to Springfield Land MD Bob Sharpless, the project would provide direct employment to 1.5 million people and indirect employment to another million. Springfield is planning to replicate the Greater Springfield model of Australia, claimed to be world's only master planned edge city. It would be financed entirely by the consortium and the government's support would be required in areas like provision of land and water on commercial terms.

Jurong Infrastructure (India) CEO Rao Munukutla said they planned to build world's tallest structures in the science city. He said proximity to the Karnataka capital Bangalore, about 200 km away, was one reason for setting up the project in Anantapur district.

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Odyssey Science City
A state-of-the-art integrated science city will come up in Andhra Pradesh's drought-prone Anantapur district with an investment of $25 billion over 10 years by a consortium of four Australian and Singaporean companies.

The consortium will invest about $3 billion in the next three years to build the ultra-modern integrated township on 10,000 acres.The Odyssey Science City would come up on 65,000 acres of land between Odicheruvu and Ammadiguda in Anantapur, about 400 km from here. He said proximity to the Karnataka capital Bangalore, about 200 km away, was one reason for setting up the project in Anantapur district...
Source: The Times of India

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1-lakh cr. Science City for Anantapur

HYDERABAD: A massive, state-of-the-art integrated ` Odyssey Science City' is proposed to be established in drought-prone Anantapur district with an investment of $ 25 billion (Rs. 1.1 lakh crores) over the next 10 years by a consortium of four Australia and Singapore-based companies.

The proposal for setting up the mega venture was signed by Additional Secretary (Industries) K. R. K. Reddy on behalf of the State Government and Bob Sharpless, Managing Director, Springfield Land Corporation, Australia, in the presence Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy here on Thursday. It would be coming up between Odicheruvu and Ammadiguda in Anantapur, a few hours' drive from Bangalore.

YSR promises support r. Rajasekhara Reddy said: " We are excited about the announcement of Odyssey Science City in an area that has been traditionally drought-prone and backward." He assured full Government support for the project.
The consortium consists of Springfield Land Corporation, Macquarie Bank, Australia and Juron International Group, and Semb Corp Industries, both from Singapore...

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Jai said:

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4. Will be built by the designers of the most successful nodal city on the planet, Greater Springfield in Australia, headed by a PIO

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State stops sale of lands in 2 mandals

Anantapur, Jan. 20: The State government on Monday issued orders stopping new land registrations in Odicheruvu and Amadagur mandals in the district where Odyssey Science City is proposed to be established.

It may be recalled that land prices rose sharply in the two mandals after the agreement reached on establishment of Science City. The government order put paid to the hopes of real estate traders, who want to purchase land in the two mandals. It is learnt that that already 15 registrations took place in the two mandals in the last four days.

Kadiri sub-registrar Kistappa said that the government orders stopping the land registrations in the two mandals reached the office. A board was also put up before the registrar office to this effect. Some buyers took back the advances paid to farmers.

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