IT services giant Infosys will start construction of a proposed software development centre in the metropolis by July 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday. The project will generate massive employment in the IT sector, she said after a cabinet meeting at the state secretariat.
DLF has sought the denotification of four of its IT/ITeS SEZs that were to come up in Haryana, Gujarat, Orissa and Kolkata, due to slowdown in the economy and liquidity crunch in the overall industry. The decision on the denotification would be taken on the June 2 meeting of the Board of Approval in the commerce ministry.
In one of its many arguments, North Block has maintained that direct tax exemptions may be viewed as a subsidy by importer countries, which may then impose countervailing duties on exports from Indian special economic zones. The issue is pending with the empowered group of ministers on special economic zones headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
In what may be a sign of the changing political environment ahead of general elections, the Centre has turned down the Maharashtra government's proposal to provide labour law flexibility in special economic zones.
The commerce ministry on Wednesday reiterated that the three notified special economic zones in Goa could not be scrapped by the Centre. It added that the issue had to be sorted between the state government and developers of the zones. Even as the Goa government has raised the issue of scrapping three notified special economic zones with the Centre, the state administration has till date not sent any formal communication to the SEZs in this regard.
Replying to supplementaries to a host of questions on SEZs in Rajya Sabha, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said special economic zones have become important engines of economic growth. The minister's reply triggered angry reactions from Left, BJP and some Congress members, who claimed that SEZs have become real estate business as norms are being violated and sought a special discussion on the matter.
"It has been two years since the Special Economic Zone Act and rules came into effect. While exports have grown almost 100 per cent to touch Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) in the first nine months of the current fiscal, total incremental employment generated by the operational SEZs after February 2006 is 146,128," according to the Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZ.
Medha Patkar on what she calls the Special Exploitation Zones.
SEZs will help alleviate the infrastructure deficit in the country.
SEZs will help alleviate the infrastructure deficit in the country.
China's deteriorating economy is a serious concern. Xi Jinping and China's new premier will have a difficult task ahead of them after the 20th party congress, notes Jayadeva Ranade, the retired senior RA&W officer and China expert.
'People should realise that what we are fighting for today is actually for tomorrow, for future generations.'
Foxconn, a leading Taiwan based manufacturer of connectors for use in personal computers and printed circuit boards for mobile phones, will set up $110 million plant in Chennai to manufacture mobile handset and other components..
As the FM said, this is a Budget that lays the foundation for the next 25 years, observes Kumar Mangalam Birla.
Even the best of government policies rarely satisfy the corporate sector. So, it is perhaps surprising that the year 2006 saw a scheme over which all business houses -- big and small alike -- were falling head over heels.
Wipro is close to setting up an IT park in Nagpur and is believed to have acquired 117 acres of land at the new special economic zone in the city.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched real estate developer DLF Universal's Special Economic Zone project here, as part of initiatives to revive the state's industrial sector.
Asia's first Special Economic Zone, the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ), will go completely wi-fi in the next few months.
The finance ministry has tightened the noose around developers of special economic zones by disallowing tax concessions to their contractors involved in the construction work.
A policy was introduced on 1 January 2000 to set up special economic zones in India to provide an internationally competitive environment for exports.
The government on Wednesday said provisions of Press Note 2 (2005 series), which allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment in townships
Senior government officials says the matter was discussed at a meeting of the ministerial group on special economic zones (SEZ) last week.
Software giant Wipro Ltd is planning to invest in another software development complex in West Bengal if it gets the special economic zone status from the central government.
Total outflow and inflow of foreign investment in general for 2014-15 fiscal was $6.42 bn and $75.71 bn, respectively
India has clearly conveyed to Pakistan that the entire union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of the country by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession.
Shares of Adani Group companies were in focus during Monday's session, with four of the six listed stocks being locked in the upper circuit of 5 per cent, bouncing back up to 11 per cent from their respective intra-day lows on the BSE. Adani Green Energy (Rs 1,115.85), Adani Transmission (Rs 1,297.65), Adani Total Gas (Rs 1,321) and Adani Power (Rs 120.60) were locked in 5 per cent upper circuit on the BSE. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Adani Enterprises rallied over 7 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, in intra-day trade. In comparison, the Sensex rose 0.44 per cent to 52,574.46 on Monday. Last week, all Adani group stocks had come under pressure after a media report suggested that the National Securities Depository (NSDL) had frozen accounts of three foreign funds that own stake in four of Adani Group companies.
The words 'industry', 'industrial development', 'jobs', and 'employment' have been ringing with higher frequency since Mamata Banerjee stepped into her third term with landslide victory after a high-octane election last year. "Our government's next target is industrial development," the chief minister (CM) had been heard stating at different public meetings in the past few months - perhaps setting the tone for the sixth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) slated for later this month. Investor summits by any state are about intent, big numbers, and tall claims. Yet in competitive federalism, its importance as a marketing tool is undeniable.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his Budget speech said the government will soon bring out a Special Economic Zone Bill and a new trade policy. Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out how much you know about the special economic zones in India.
In Andhra Pradesh, a maximum of 2,044.15 hectares of land are lying vacant.
The Union Cabinet will soon consider a comprehensive Special Economic Zones Bill, which would lay down guidelines for their development, operation and management.
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