Mahindra industrial park getting ready

CHENNAI Aug. 23. The first phase of the Mahindra Industrial Park, coming up near Singaperumalkoil, off the National Highway 45, just over 50 km from here, is almost ready for launch.

Of the 1,440 acres, about 840 acres will be offered in the first phase. This will include a business park and a housing area. With formal inauguration expected to take place in the next few weeks, marketing for the first two phases will be launched together.

The Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra, Anand G. Mahindra, called on the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, this morning, with a team of top executives from his company. He has invited Ms. Jayalalithaa to inaugurate the park.

According to Arun Nanda, Executive Director, the first phase of the park will include the export, apparel, fashion and IT zones, in addition to the housing area, which companies can utilise.

The park is being promoted by the Mahindra group, with participation from the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.

Mr. Nanda said the park was designed as a suburban industrial and commercial estate to serve high-tech companies. His company would invest Rs. 140 crores in the first two phases and would go up to Rs. 270 crores at the end of Phase 3.

The master plan for the park was prepared by Singapore's JTC International and offered fully serviced plots ranging from one to 10 acres, with the possibility of combining plots. It was basically an `integrated township' approach outside, but close to Chennai.

The company was holding a dialogue with the State Government to set aside a part of the park as an Export Processing zone, to leverage it for garment exports in the post-WTO era, with the required infrastructure.

At today's meeting at the Secretariat, the Finance Secretary, N.Narayanan, the Industries Secretary (in-charge), K. Skandan, the IT Secretary, Vivek Harinarain, and the TIDCO Chairman and Managing Director, M. Madhavan Nambiar, were present.

With Mr. Mahindra taking over as the CII's national president, he would work with the Tamil Nadu Government in making it an ``IT gateway to Asia''.

Another key visitor to meet the Chief Minister today was the Tata Teleservices chief, J.J. Irani, who was accompanied by executives from its Tamil Nadu division. The discussion centred on the Tata group's Rs. 1000-crore plan to provide basic telephony services in Chennai, according to official sources.