Kinfra to spend Rs 140 crore on electronics manufacturing

Full-fledged land allotment will begin once the proposed site is equipped with the infrastructure facilities required for the smooth operation of electronic manufacturing units.

Kinfra park

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving a push to the nascent electronics manufacturing sector in the state, Kinfra is set to allot land to launch an Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Kakkanad, Kochi. The cluster will benefit manufacturers of computers, telecom equipment, TVs, set-top boxes, semiconductors and other electronic equipment. 

Kinfra director Santhosh Kumar told Express the District Industrial Land Allotment Committee has already forwarded a plan to allot land to Stallion Systems, providers of barcode printers and scanners, and other software solutions, to clients in India and the Middle East.

Full-fledged land allotment will begin once the proposed site is equipped with the infrastructure facilities required for the smooth operation of electronic manufacturing units. 

The J140.01 crore project, of which J50 crore is contributed by the Central government, aims to develop an industrial park with modern facilities in 66.87 acre, catering exclusively to the electronics manufacturing industry. 

The project is expected to attract investment to Kerala, as well as created large-scale employment opportunities. Kerala with its vast talent pool of engineering graduates, postgraduates and diploma holders in electronics presents an attractive proposition for the electronics manufacturing industry, said a Kinfra official. 

Stallion Systems has sought around 1 acre with connectivity; the company will develop its own infrastructure facilities, said a Kinfra officer. 

Kinfra has spent around J20 crore after identifying the land under its possession for arranging basic amenities, such as developing road access. Once the land allotment certificate is issued, the manufacturing unit should set up the infrastructure facilities required at the site in two years. The proposed EMC will provide the infrastructure required for export-based electronics manufacturing units. 

The units that will come up in the cluster will be eligible for benefits under modified-special incentive package scheme. 

Building blocks of manufacturing sector

• The EMC at Kakkanad is being set up with assistance from the Union Ministry of Communication and IT (MeitY) under the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster Scheme 
• The objective of the project is to attract investment to Kerala and create large-scale employment 
• The proposed EMC will provide necessary infrastructure required for export-based electronics manufacturing units 
• Units at the cluster will be eligible for benefits under modified special incentive package scheme 
• Kinfra planning to execute the EMC project in a phased manner 
• The Union government will provide a C 50 crore grant, of which C 10 crore has already been allotted.  
• MeitY has already accorded final approval for the project with KINFRA as chief promoter 

- KINFRA also constituted a special purpose vehicle, KINFRA Electronic Park Pvt Ltd, for implementing the project