Industrial city on Mumbai outskirts

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 31

Industrialist Mukesh Ambani will soon build an industrial city spread over more than 5,200 acres on the outskirts of Mumbai.

The Devendra Fadnavis Cabinet yesterday cleared a proposal by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to develop an industrial city on the land. Ambani and his associates Anand Jain of Jai Corp and Nikhil Gandhi of SKIL Infrastructure Ltd had intended to build a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on this property over a decade ago.

However, the move did not materialise, according to CIDCO officials. According to sources, CIDCO has a 26% stake in the proposed Navi Mumbai SEZ.

CIDCO sources say 85% of the land in the integrated industrial area will be used to set up industrial projects, including manufacturing units, IT parks and warehouses etc. The rest may be used for residential and commercial purposes.

The proposed integrated industrial city will be located close to the under-construction Navi Mumbai airport and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

Officials of Reliance Industries have clarified that the project is being undertaken by Ambani in his personal capacity and the company is not involved in it. 

“SEZs in Maharashtra have proved to be non-viable after the Central government introduced the Minimum Alternate Tax and removed concessions enjoyed by them,” an official from the Maharashtra Government’s Finance Department said.

Several industrial houses which had proposed to set up SEZs have already dropped their proposals.

To spread across over 5,200 acres

• The industrial city will spread across more than 5,200 acres on the outskirts of Mumbai
• The Devendra Fadnavis Cabinet has already cleared the proposal of CIDCO in this regard
• Ambani and his associates Anand Jain of Jai Corp and Nikhil Gandhi of SKIL Infrastructure had intended to build an SEZ on this property over a decade ago
• However, the move did not materialise, according to CIDCO which has a 26% stake in the proposed SEZ