Durgapur-Asansol is on an industrial high
With influx of FDI's and many PSU's and private organizations betting big on the region, Durgapur-Asansol is on an industrial high.
By ET Bureau |
Controversy over new industrial set ups contributed much hype to Haldia and Singur, the two most important locations of West Bengal. But the two other industrial destinations, Asansol and Durgapur, have silently achieved huge success in terms of domestic and foreign investments.
This region is waiting for huge FDI in sectors like power, IT, education and health care. According to state government sources, the Durgapur-Asansol region will soon emerge as the most preferred destination for investment in the state. The state government's plans for new power plants, infrastructure development and simplification of land acquisition process will help the state to attract new business in this region.
With foreign funds flowing into the state, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government is poised to position Durgapur as the next big investment destination in West Bengal. Even though Durgapur, the steel city, failed to make the cut among the top 36 cities in the country in a survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Asansol eventually emerged as the 33rd spot to beat Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Jabalpur. Surprisingly Haldia, Siliguri, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati failed to find a place.
There is no denying that the emergence of Asansol once again proved that the amount of new investment in Durgapur was not enough compared to public sector giants like the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Indian Iron and Steel Company Limited (IISCO) and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW).
The ranking was done after surveying seven categories, communication, private finance, road transport, professional education and hotel infrastructure, among others.
The optimism however reached high after West Bengal chief minister inaugurated a clutch of projects entailing an investment of over Rs 600 crore in the steel town of Durgapur. One of the projects is to be implemented by a Tata Group company.
The biggest one involved a Rs 525 crore project for producing 1.75 lakh tonnes of foundry grade pig iron by Neo Metalliks Ltd. The other project is a Rs 10 crore hotel by Roots Corporation Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tata Group company, Indian Hotels, which runs the Taj chain.
The Synergy group's non-renewable energy equipment manufacturing facility project for Durgapur is also encouraging. There will be a Rs 25-crore plant for producing solar photovoltaic modules. DLF Ltd has come to develop an integrated town ship on 95 acres in the heart of the city.
This will be a public-private participation (PPP) project envisaged by the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA). The project, to be completed in four years, is expected to invite investment up to Rs 4,000 crore.
Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) is ready to set up a finishing mill at an investment of around Rs 100 crore.
It is being considered that this green field project will be India's first privately owned airport, a part of the USD 2.5 billion Durgapur Aerotropolis. This project of global standards and will definitely help in placing the Durgapur-Asansol region & Bengal on the global aviation map.
Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) is speeding up work on the inland container depot (ICD) at Durgapur to get it functional within two years. Apart from Durgapur and Rourkela integrated plants of the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), numerous sponge iron and smaller steel-making units have come up in the vicinity.
State's Commerce & Industries Minister Nirupam Sen is content over the recent development in Durgapur and Asansol. Several leading health and educational institutions have evinced keen interest to set up their projects in the township.
RPG Group, a company with big stake in power generation, real estate and retail, is betting big on retail. Its 109 years old Spencer's Retail is soon going to launch a 16,000 square feet big outlet at City Centre in Durgapur.
This region is waiting for huge FDI in sectors like power, IT, education and health care. According to state government sources, the Durgapur-Asansol region will soon emerge as the most preferred destination for investment in the state. The state government's plans for new power plants, infrastructure development and simplification of land acquisition process will help the state to attract new business in this region.
With foreign funds flowing into the state, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government is poised to position Durgapur as the next big investment destination in West Bengal. Even though Durgapur, the steel city, failed to make the cut among the top 36 cities in the country in a survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Asansol eventually emerged as the 33rd spot to beat Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Jabalpur. Surprisingly Haldia, Siliguri, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati failed to find a place.
There is no denying that the emergence of Asansol once again proved that the amount of new investment in Durgapur was not enough compared to public sector giants like the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Indian Iron and Steel Company Limited (IISCO) and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW).
The ranking was done after surveying seven categories, communication, private finance, road transport, professional education and hotel infrastructure, among others.
The optimism however reached high after West Bengal chief minister inaugurated a clutch of projects entailing an investment of over Rs 600 crore in the steel town of Durgapur. One of the projects is to be implemented by a Tata Group company.
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The biggest one involved a Rs 525 crore project for producing 1.75 lakh tonnes of foundry grade pig iron by Neo Metalliks Ltd. The other project is a Rs 10 crore hotel by Roots Corporation Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tata Group company, Indian Hotels, which runs the Taj chain.
The Synergy group's non-renewable energy equipment manufacturing facility project for Durgapur is also encouraging. There will be a Rs 25-crore plant for producing solar photovoltaic modules. DLF Ltd has come to develop an integrated town ship on 95 acres in the heart of the city.
This will be a public-private participation (PPP) project envisaged by the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA). The project, to be completed in four years, is expected to invite investment up to Rs 4,000 crore.
Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) is ready to set up a finishing mill at an investment of around Rs 100 crore.
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Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd. (BAPL) has already engaged in a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with Changi Airports International (CAI) for the upcoming airport within the Durgapur Aerotropolis project. It is being considered that this green field project will be India's first privately owned airport, a part of the USD 2.5 billion Durgapur Aerotropolis. This project of global standards and will definitely help in placing the Durgapur-Asansol region & Bengal on the global aviation map.
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A ray of hope is seen with the opening of the Missions Hospital, a super-specialty hospital, at Bidhan Nagar in Durgapur. Situated about 188 kms from Kolkata in Burdwan district, the hospital will cater to the districts and industrial areas of Asansol and Durgapur along with the adjacent areas of Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa. Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) is speeding up work on the inland container depot (ICD) at Durgapur to get it functional within two years. Apart from Durgapur and Rourkela integrated plants of the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), numerous sponge iron and smaller steel-making units have come up in the vicinity.
State's Commerce & Industries Minister Nirupam Sen is content over the recent development in Durgapur and Asansol. Several leading health and educational institutions have evinced keen interest to set up their projects in the township.
RPG Group, a company with big stake in power generation, real estate and retail, is betting big on retail. Its 109 years old Spencer's Retail is soon going to launch a 16,000 square feet big outlet at City Centre in Durgapur.
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