Zaheerabad ind city holds highest job potential

The 5 focus sectors at Zaheerabad industrial smart city are: automobiles, transport equipment, electrical equipment, food processing, and metals & non-metallic minerals

New Delhi: Of the ‘grand necklace’ of 12 industrial smart cities that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved on Wednesday, the Zaheerabad project in Telangana has the highest employment generation potential. It is expected to create 1,74,000 jobs, official sources told Bizz Buzz.

The total investment potential of this project is Rs10,000 crore, they said. There are five focus sectors -automobiles, transport equipment, electrical equipment, food processing, and metals & non-metallic minerals. It may be mentioned here that electrical equipment and food processing are among the top industries attracting investment all over the country.

The Zaheerabad project will be developed in 3,245 acres at a cost of Rs2,361 crore. Proximity to Hyderabad and National Highway-65 (Pune-Machilipatnam) is a major plus of the project, the sources said, adding that it would act as a counter-magnet to State capital Hyderabad.

It is worth noting that the biggest industrial smart city is the Dighi Port Industrial Area in Maharashtra. It will be spread in 6,056 acres with the project cost of Rs5,469 crore and investment potential of Rs38,000 crore. Yet, its employment potential is just 1,14,183, much lower than that of the Zaheerabad project.

The 12 new project proposals under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) have an estimated investment of Rs28,602 crore. This move is set to transform the industrial landscape of the country, creating a robust network of industrial nodes and cities that will significantly boost economic growth and global competitiveness, an official press release said.

Aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the 12 projects will feature multi-modal connectivity infrastructure, ensuring seamless movement of people, goods, and services. The industrial cities are envisioned to be growth centers for transformation of the whole regions.

The NICDP is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with an estimated 1 million direct jobs and up to 3 million indirect jobs being created through planned industrialization. This will not only provide livelihood opportunities, but also contribute to the socio-economic uplift of the regions where these projects are being implemented, the release said.