Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) has submitted a detailed project report to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology for developing an electronics manufacturing cluster in Kochi. The proposal for the Rs.250-crore project, submitted by Kinfra last year, had received in-principle nod from the department.
The project, to be established in 75 acres of land owned by Kinfra at Kakkanad, is being taken up under the scheme envisaged in the national electronics policy, 2012.
Computers and tablet PCs, telecom equipment, mobile handsets and accessories, colour television sets, set top boxes, LEDs and CFLs, industrial electronics, semiconductors, memory cards and other consumer electronic products could be manufactured at the centre.
The land for the proposed electronics cluster is already in possession of Kinfra, which is a clear advantage to the investors.
The project could become operational within two years of getting final clearance from the Union government, according to officials.
The proposed site is located adjacent to Smart City area and Infopark, about 25 km from Cochin international airport and 26 km from Cochin sea port. The site is accessible through a PWD road connecting Kalamasserry and Aluva. Power and water are available at the location. Cochin University of Science and Technology and HMT township are within a radius of 5 km from the site.
Kinfra officials point out that electronics industry has been identified by the State as an area of strength.
With over 80 engineering colleges, abundant manpower would be available for the operation of the hub. Kerala has the highest labour productivity among all Indian States, Kinfra said in its report, quoting a World Bank-CII study. The NeST Group is planning to set up an electronics hardware manufacturing project at Kalamasserry, which also could add strength to the electronics-based industrial activity in the area.
