RajasthanCalling!

Rajasthanhadbeenawayfromactionforsometime.Butnowthatthe
countryhasrealizedthepotentialofthisstate,corporates,industrialistsand
entrepreneursarelininguptotaptheimmensebusinessopportunitiesitholds.
EasyavailabilityofrawresourcesmakesRajasthanthenaturalchoicefor
agroandmineralsbasedindustries.Thereisvastpotentialforfood
processing,solventextractionandassociatedindustrieslikecoldstoragein
Rajasthan.Thelargestockofcattleisanadvantageforleather,wool,dairy
andmeatbasedunits.Thestategovernmentisalsokeentoattractinvestment
insectorslikeautomobiles,consumergoodsandInformationTechnology
(IT).
Thestategovernment,throughitsindustrialdevelopmentarmRajasthan
StateIndustrialDevelopmentandInvestmentCorporationLimited(RIICO)
hasfacilitatedasilentindustrialrevolutioninthestate.RIICOhasdeveloped
322industrialareasalloverRajasthanforattractinginvestmentinindustrial
sectorandotherareas.RIICOhasalsodevelopedthemebasedparkssuchas
SpecialEconomicZones(SEZ)atJaipur,JodhpurandNeemranaITParksat
Jaipur,Jodhpur,KotaandUdaipurEPIPatJaipurandJodhpuragrofood
parksatKota,JodhpurandSriganganagarApparelParkatJaipurbiotech
parksatJaipur,JodhpurandBhiwadigrowthcentresandotherspecialparks
also.
TocashinontheindustrialbenefitsoftheproposedDelhiMumbai
IndustrialCorridor(DMIC),RIICOisplanningtosetupthreenewindustrial
areasinRajasthan.Atpresentthereare322existingindustrialareasinthe
state.RIICOmanagingdirectorRajendraBhanwatsaidthattheagencywill
acquire1088haprivatelandand819hagovernmentlandforthedevelopment
ofnewindustrialareas.TheseareaswillbedevelopedinJodhpur,Bhilwara
andSikardistricts.Withalmost40percentoftheDelhiMumbaiIndustrial
Corridor(DMIC)passingthroughRajasthan,wehavedecidedtocreate
industriallandbank,hesaid.HesaidthatRIICOwillbeacquiring459.25ha
privatekhatedarilandontheJodhpurPaliroadget175.50hagovernment
landfordevelopinganewindustrialarea.
ApartfromthattheexistingindustrialareaatBoranadainJodhpurwillbe
expandedbyadding509.67haofprivatekhatedarilandwillbeacquired.We
willbegetting53.77hagovernmentlandatMandalgarhonBhilwaraKota
roadand466.42hagovernmentlandatvillageBanKaKheranearBhilwara
fordevelopinganindustrialarea.IntheSikardistrict,theagencywillacquire
119.88haprivatekhatedarilandapartfrom123.47hagovernmentlandnear
NeemkaThana.ApartfromthatRIICOisalsoplanningtosetupaCeramic
hubinNeemrana.IthasselectedNeemranaasitisclosetoDelhiandNCR
whicharethemajorconsumptionmarketsofceramicproducts.
Rajasthanisthemajorproducerofallrequiredinputmaterialsforthe
ceramicindustry.ItisleadingproducerofmineralslikeQuartz&SilicaSand,
Primary&SecondaryClays,Feldspar,SoapstoneandWollastanitethatare
widelyusedinthemanufacturingofceramicproducts.However,thestate
failedtoattractceramicplayerstosetuptheirshopshere.Thereasonstate
islackingoneoftheimportantinputsnaturalgas.Thegasismainlyusedfor
powderdrying,tilesdryingandfinalheattreatmentwhichstrengthensthe
ceramicproducts.NowthattheavailabilityofnaturalgasinNeemrana
BhiwadiindustrialzoneisbeingaddressedbytheGasAuthorityofIndia
Limited,RIICOhasdrawnplanstorolloutthiszonebynextyear.GAILis
likelytocommissiontheChainsaJhajjarspurline(SultanpurNeemrana)gas
pipelineprojectbythisyear.Itwillmeetthegasdemandofconsumersin
HaryanaandRajasthan,atvariouslocationslikeChopanki,Bhiwadi,
Dharuhera,Khushkhera,Neemrana,Gurgaon,Khandsa,Manesarand
Banmoli,anofficialsaid.Thestateoffersinvestmentopportunitiesinall
sectorsincludingInformationTechnologyandITenabledservices.Software
andservicesexportscontinuedtoremainontopoftheITindustrysrevenue.
Theexportdrivensoftwaresectorsawmajorlongtermprojectscometo
IndianICTleadersandIndiancompaniesbaggingalargerandlargershareof
theglobaloutsourcedbusiness.
ThesoftwareexportsectorloggedinrevenueofRs.47,500croreduring
200203,ajumpofaround30percent.AsperprojectionsofNASSCOM,
IndianIT/ITESmarketwillbeof$62Billionby2009and$US148Billion
by2012.ThegrowthinIT&ITESmarketinIndiawilltranslateto
manpowerrequirementestimationof9.72lakhsforITexportservicesand
27.17lakhsforITESexportservicesby2012.TheStateofRajasthanbeing
closetoNCR,offersinvestmentopportunitiesinITsectorespeciallyinITES.
ToattractinvestmentinITsector,RIICOhasdevelopedStateofArtITParks
atJaipur,Kota,Udaipur&Jodhpur.RIICOisalsoconsideringtodevelop
suchITParksatBhiwadi(Alwar).Theinfrastructureintermsofdeveloped
plots,continuouspower,HighSpeedDataComFacilitythroughSatellite
EarthStation,Roadsetc.arebeingmadeavailabletoITindustriesinIT
Parks.Thestategovernmentisalsobettingbigonbiotechnology.Thecurrent
consumptionofbiotechnologyproductsinIndiaisoftheorderofRs.90
billionwhichisexpectedtoincreasetoRs.234billionby2010.The
healthcaresectorwouldcontribute38%ofthemarket,agriculture32%and
industrialproducts30%.
Thesmallscalesectorisexpectedtoplayamajorroleinthegrowthofthe
biotechindustry.Rajasthanisrichinbioresources.Thestateprovides
tremendousbiodiversity,rarelytobefoundinanyotherState.Rajasthanis
veryrichincattlebreedalso.Statehashighestlivestockpopulationandthere

isgoodpotentialinanimalhusbandryandgeneticengineering.Thus
Rajasthanhasgreatpotentialtocreateimmenseindustrialactivityin
BiotechnologyandmodernBiotechproductsinvolvingrecombinantDNA
basedproductsandBioInformatics.ToattractinvestmentinBiotechnology
sector,RIICOisconsideringtodevelopstateofartbiotechparksatJaipur,
JodhpurandBhiwadi(Alwar).