Employment for 51,000 people; 3,806 crore expenditure; 12 new industrial cities coming up in India; one in Palakkad

NEW DELHI: The central government has decided to set up an industrial smart city, which will provide direct employment to more than half a lakh people, at Pudussery near Palakkad Kanchikode. The Smart City, which is being built on 1,710 acres of land at a cost of Rs 3,806 crore, will set the stage for an investment of Rs 8,729 crore. This industrial smart city will be implemented with equal participation of the Centre and Kerala.

Mainly private industries will rise. Government institutions will also be a part of this. The project will not get bogged down in red tape. Land will be allotted immediately. Establishments will be granted speedy approval. It is expected that the industries will be operational before 2030.

Land has been acquired at Pudussery Central and Kannambra under the earlier announced Integrated Manufacturing Cluster. It was decided to extend the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor to Kochi via Coimbatore according to the National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDC) 2019.

The Economic Affairs Committee of the Union Cabinet has approved 12 industrial smart cities in 10 states including Kerala at a cost of Rs 28,602 crore. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 12 industrial cities will connect six major industrial corridors of the country. The goal is to increase the country's production and economic capabilities.

"The project is being implemented by the Kerala Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, in which the central and state governments each share 50%. For this, the state had acquired 1710 acres of land at a cost of 1790 crores."

-P. Rajeev,

Industry Minister

High-tech industry coming to Palakkad

• Mechanical, chemical and botanical products
• Mineral, rubber and plastic products
• Fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment

More connectivity

• Near Coimbatore Industrial Area
• Area adjacent to Kochi-Salem highway
• Kanjikode, Walayar and Shornur Railway Stations
• Kochi and Coimbatore Airports
• Kochi port

National Goal of 2030

• Exports from 12 industrial cities: Rs.2,00,000 crore
• Direct Employment: 10 Lakh people
• Indirect Jobs: 30 lakhs
• Expected investment: 1.5 lakh crore

Other cities where the industrial parks are coming up

Khurpia (Uttarakhand), Rajpura-Patiala (Punjab), Dighi (Maharashtra), Agra, Prayagraj (UP), Gaya (Bihar), Zaheerabad (Telangana), Orvakal, Kopparthi (Madhya Pradesh), Jodhpur Pali (Rajasthan) (The one in Haryana was not announced due to the election code of conduct.)