Hyderabad|India|May'2010: The Chief Minister Dr K Rosaiah said that Andhra Pradesh is set to receive a major boost to infrastructure development in its sustained efforts to become the Preferred Global Sourcing Hub for Apparel industry in the country.

The Chief Minister said the State is projected to attract overall investment of Rs.70,000 crore with an expected employment potential of 25 lakh in the coming years. Dr. Rosaiah will inaugurate the Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), the state-of-the-art apparel supply chain city at Achyutapuram, 50 kms from Visakhapatnam tomorrow, the 3rd May. In this connection the Chief Minister who is on tour in Nellore District today has discussed about the arrangements at Atchuthapuram and proposed investments through SEZs with Ministers Sri Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Mines, Geology, Handlooms & Textiles; Sri Kanna Laxminarayana, Major Industries and Prl.Secretary, Industries Sri B.Sam Bob over telephone. 'Andhra Pradesh bagged the largest number of 73 SEZs out of the 346 SEZs in the country and has already brought an investment of Rs.14,700 crore and one lakh employment (both direct and indirect) to the State ' he said.

Dr. K. Rosaiah, who in his capacity as the Finance Minister visited Sri Lanka to impres upon the apparel major the need to invest in Visakhapatnam said the natural gas potential in the Krishna-Godavari basin in the North-east belt of the State starting from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada has been promoted as a major industrial corridor with major projects like AP Special Economic Zone, a multi product SEZ, Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, Brandix Apparel City, Kakinada Multi product SEZ, Expansion projects of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, HPCL etc.

Officials informed the Chief Minister about the infrastructure initiatives taken at the BIAC by the State Government like setting up a dedicated Electric substation with two feeders from three separate grid sources ensuring reliable power supply, 60 MLD (million liters per day) water, 4000 ML capacity summer reservoir and 4-lane road network (4 km) from Atchutapuram Junction to BIAC to facilitate the project with global facilities. BIAC, the unique apparel supply chain city managed by Brandix India Limited is developed with world-class facilities on 1,000 acres on the concept of `Fibre-to-store' concept. It has 749 acres of processing zone and 251 acres of non-processing zone with in-built water and effluent treatment facilities.

'I am happy to note that Brandix project was on schedule in spite of the global recession and has immense potential to provide job opportunities to local youth mainly women' said the Chief Minister. He said Brandix Apparel India, the Indian manufacturing arm of Brandix Sri Lanka, has already commenced commercial production for export and provided 2,800 jobs directly and another 5,000 indirectly. The world-class apparel being produced at the BIAC is exported to world's top fabric manufacturers like Victoria’s Secret (USA) & Hanes (USA). Other global apparel supply-chain partners supporting this venture are Brandot from US, Pioneer Elastics from Hong Kong, CMT from Mauritius and Quantum Clothing from UK.

The APIIC officials informed the Chief Minister that BIAC would employ over 60,000 people and will consist 20 apparel factories, two fabric mills, eight accessories factories, a logistics warehouse and a finishing plant when it becomes fully operational. 'The BIAC will attract an investment of One Billion dollars (Rs.4,500 crore) to Visakhapatnam and promote export of apparel worth more than 1.4 billion dollars a year', officials told the Chief Minister. They said that Rs.800 crore has been invested on infrastructure development in the multi-product APSEZ promoted by the APIIC at Visakhapatnam in an area spread over 5659 acres in Actuthapuram and Rambilli.

The Chief Minister expressed happiness that several world class Fabric companies like Ocean India(US), Fountain Set Holdings of Hong Kong, Pioneer Elastic India Quantum Clothing India (UK), DEB Fashion India and Seeds Intimate Apparel India have come forward to set up joint ventures in the BIAC. Dr. Rosaiah was happy that five of the 13 units allotted land in the APZEZ have already gone into commercial production and provided jobs 1,500 persons including those from the project affected families. He said the prestigious project of Petroleum, Chemicals and Petro Chemical Investment Region (PCPIR) is jointly promoted with Government of India and private participation in the region with an outlay of Rs.19,031 Crores. This project was a combination of Ports, Airports, SEZs, Industrial Parks, Export-oriented units etc, between Vishakhapatnam and Kakinada corridor and is expected to attract a total investment of Rs.3.43 lakh crores. 'The entire project has an employment potential of 12 lakh in the next 6 to 8 years'. He was happy that the Centre had agreed to share the cost of the PCPIR Express way project from Gangavaram Port to APSEZ and from APSEZ to Kakinada taken up with an estimated cost of Rs.300 crore on a 50: 50 basis.

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU PHARMA CITY (JNPC) developed over 2,143.23 acres at Parawada mandal of Visakhapatnam at Rs.350 crores is expected to attract investments at Rs.10,000 crores and employ 20,000 people. So far 81 units have begun operations in the pharma city and provided jobs to 4,312 persons with an investment of Rs.549 crores. The Chief Minister expressed happiness that the IT/ITES sector in Hyderabad (Cyberabad) had an investment potential of Rs.25,497 crore and job creation of 4,64,750 persons. The sector so far attracted investments of Rs.3,543 crore in the Hardware Park and generated jobs for 33,639 persons.

The Chief Minister said several new proposals have been received for setting up coke plant, glass factory, steel plant, Paints Industry and Ferro Alloys units in the State.

-May' 2010