Kerala allows individual developers for industrial parks

17 Aug 2023 CW Team

Previously limited to companies, cooperatives, and consortia of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the revised scheme now enables individual developers with a minimum of 10 acres of land to apply for building industrial parks. Currently, eight such developers have been granted permits, while 20 applications are in progress across the state.

The Department of Industries and Commerce (DIC) will provide up to Rs 30 million as a grant to each developer under the revised policy. This funding will aid in creating crucial infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, sewage, effluent treatment plants, and communication networks within the private industrial parks. S Harikishore, Director of Industries and Commerce, stated that two such parks will be operational in the current year (2023), to have 25 private industrial parks in the state by the end of the fiscal year 2023-24.

KSIDC, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, revealed the government's ambitious goal of establishing 100 private industrial parks spanning 1,000 acres over the next four years. However, certain regulations apply: the proposed land for the park must not fall under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act 2008 or be within ecologically sensitive or coastal regulation zones or plantation areas.

Red-category industries, as identified by the Kerala Pollution Control Board, are not allowed within these parks. Interested parties can apply for the permit online, after which District-Level Site Selection Committees will inspect the plots. Following their assessment, the State-Level Selection Committee will review the report and grant the developer permits. The development of the park must be completed within two years of obtaining the permit.

The Kerala government has taken the initiative to allow individual developers to establish industrial parks in the state. They will receive a financial grant of Rs 30 million for constructing essential infrastructure like roads, electricity, and water supply within these estates. The Private Industrial Estate (PIE) scheme has been revised to facilitate this development, expanding eligibility beyond companies and cooperatives.Previously limited to companies, cooperatives, and consortia of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the revised scheme now enables individual developers with a minimum of 10 acres of land to apply for building industrial parks. Currently, eight such developers have been granted permits, while 20 applications are in progress across the state.The Department of Industries and Commerce (DIC) will provide up to Rs 30 million as a grant to each developer under the revised policy. This funding will aid in creating crucial infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, sewage, effluent treatment plants, and communication networks within the private industrial parks. S Harikishore, Director of Industries and Commerce, stated that two such parks will be operational in the current year (2023), to have 25 private industrial parks in the state by the end of the fiscal year 2023-24.KSIDC, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, revealed the government's ambitious goal of establishing 100 private industrial parks spanning 1,000 acres over the next four years. However, certain regulations apply: the proposed land for the park must not fall under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act 2008 or be within ecologically sensitive or coastal regulation zones or plantation areas.Red-category industries, as identified by the Kerala Pollution Control Board, are not allowed within these parks. Interested parties can apply for the permit online, after which District-Level Site Selection Committees will inspect the plots. Following their assessment, the State-Level Selection Committee will review the report and grant the developer permits. The development of the park must be completed within two years of obtaining the permit.