This decision will come as a relief to Essar's multi-product port-based SEZ project in Hazira as well as of Adani Group's zone in Mundra, which the revenue department felt was not built on vacant land when it was notified, and hence it had violated the law. Both the zones are in Gujarat.
The government on Monday proposed to levy Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) of 18.5 per cent on the book profits of Special Economic Zone developers and units, which was termed as a 'setback' by the players.
During April-December 2009-10, exports from special economic zones stood at Rs 1,51,785 crore (Rs 1,517.85 billion).
Gujarat may have missed the IT/ITES bus earlier, but the two upcoming IT/ITES SEZs by K Raheja Corp and DLF are all set to drive the growth of the industry here. As many as 50 companies are likely to set up shops in the two parks coming up in Gandhinagar.
The finance ministry on Monday defended the budget proposal on a sun set clause for tax sops to special economic zones, saying it is a normal practice in any kind of fiscal concessions.
Container Corporation of India (Concor) has been the worst performer among major logistics & port stocks registering returns of about 4 per cent over the past three months as compared to 10-12 per cent for peers Gateway Distriparks and Adani Ports and SEZ. Uncertain outlook on the export-import (EXIM) trade front, market share loss, lack of progress on divestment, and weak June quarter results weighed on the stock. Volume and margin movement will be key triggers for the stock going ahead. As was the case in the previous quarter, margin performance was muted even in the June quarter. Operating profit in the quarter was down 17 per cent at Rs 391 crore missing estimates by over 15 per cent. Operating profit margins at 20.4 per cent, too, were down sharply by 350 basis points over the year-ago quarter.
The West Bengal government on Thursday said it has received applications for 21 SEZs in the IT sector, of which six were in the final stage of approval. A SEZ set up by Wipro was already functioning in the state, while the other six can take up construction soon. A wireless technology research centre was being set up at Calcutta University. Commenting on WB's progress, State IT Minister Debesh Das said starting IT in 1999-2000 by 2005-06 the state witnessed 17-fold increase.
The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act of 2005, which completed two years on February 10, 2008, has facilitated a 200 per cent rise in exports from these zones during the period, and has led to an incremental investment of Rs 70,416 crore (Rs 704.16 billion).
The government may look at relaxing 5,000 hectare-ceiling on land for Special Economic Zones once the the Land Acquisition Act is in place, commerce secretary G K Pillai said on Monday. "Now that the new Relief & Rehabilitation policy has come into being, the government may think of relaxing the upper limit of 5,000 hectares for SEZs (once the land acquisition law is enacted), he said on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit.
Three special economic zones promoted by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his close aide Anand Jain in the same area have been listed for clearance on Friday.
The government on Wednesday granted approval to Nokia, Wipro, Hewlett Packard, Reliance, Biocon, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance energy and Adani Group's to set up Special Economic zones.
The Union Cabinet will soon consider a comprehensive Special Economic Zones Bill, which would lay down guidelines for their development, operation and management.
Sources close to the development said RIL, which was planning two adjacent economic zones in the coastal district of Raigarh in Maharashtra, is looking to set up three special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to develop the various components of the project.
Rentals for commercial complexes fell sharply and the land, developers felt, could be employed for other purposes.
Senior officials from different ministries, including finance, home affairs and defence, would be attending the meeting. The last BOA held on August 11 had allowed Maytas Ventures, promoted by the disgraced former Satyam chairman B Ramalinga Raju's son, to surrender its biotech SEZ and approved three new proposals, including that of Brooke Bond Real Estates IT/ITES tax-free enclave in Karnataka.
BoA has given formal approval to 15 special economic zones, including those of TCS and Cognizant, and in-principle nod to five, Commerce Secretary and BoA Chairman G K Pillai told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi.
While announcing the launch of Estancia three months ago, the promoters had said they would earmark about Rs 600 crore to develop an IT park inside Estancia.
The government on Friday the proposals of telecom giants Motorola and Foxconn, and Singapore-based reality major Ascendas to join as partners in the Special Economic Zones coming up near Chennai.
SEZ developers have been facing problems in setting up their projects as they have to take permissions from state authorities for master plan and environment at different levels.
Genpact, a leading BPO player, on Wednesday announced its expansion plans in Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Jaipur.
The Mumbai SEZ had sought the stay on the grounds that if the acquisition is not completed by June 8, the entire process will lapse under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
The government on Wednesday assured domestic and global auto companies all help such as granting SEZ status and a re-look at tax structure for setting up testing centres and manufacturing plants in a bid to make India the automotive hub of the world.
Goa has scrapped 12 SEZs, including the seven, which were approved by the state government. But the government is struggling over denotification of three industrial enclaves, which has now rushed to the High Court against government's intention to scrap them.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd on Thursday announced its plans to set up a special economic zone at Jaipur entailing an investment of $2 billion.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads an Empowered Group of Ministers on Special Economic Zones, is likely to consult Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resolve the dispute between finance and commerce ministries over tax exemption for export profits from the zones.
The proposed legislation on special economic zones would give a big boost to the inflow of foreign direct investment in the country, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said in New Delhi on Friday.
The finance ministry on Friday said revenue loss on account of fiscal sops to Special Economic Zones is estimated to be Rs 1,02,621 crore.
Diversified group Mahindra and Mahindra will set up its third Special Economic Zone at Pune, which is likely to see investments of Rs 9,000 crore (Rs 90 billion).
Gitanjali Group, the Rs 4,500-crore (Rs 45 billion) diamond-studded jewellery manufacturing firm, has evinced interest in setting up a special economic zone (SEZ) for diamond processing industry near Bangalore.
Undaunted by criticism by a Parliamentary panel, the government cleared 28 fresh special economic zone proposals on Thursday, including the Navi Mumbai promoted by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Billionaire Gautam Adani-led group's renewable energy firm on Thursday announced plans to raise Rs 12,300 crore through a share sale to investors as the group continues to build on a comeback strategy to emerge out of allegations of fraud levelled by a US short-seller. Adani Green Energy Ltd in a stock exchange filing said its board has approved raising up to Rs 12,300 crore through an issue of equity shares by way of qualified institutional placement (QIP). The funds are intended to be used for meeting capital needs of the company's expansion plans.
Board of Approval has asked the Goa government to compensate the denotified developers over the SEZ issue.
Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd employees affiliated to three separate unions in Vadodra will go on a mass protest on Tuesday against the proposed transfer of some of them to Reliance Industries' SEZ in Jamnagar.
Karnataka has received in principle approval from the Centre for setting up a special economic zone across its three coastal districts.