HYDERABAD: As part of the Growth in Dispersion (GRID) policy, which was recently approved by the State Cabinet, 11 industrial parks located around Hyderabad will be converted into IT parks. The operational guidelines for the GRID policy were issued on Thursday. The objective of the GRID Policy is to disperse IT sector around the city and not confine it to western corridor — Madhapur, Kondapur, Gachibowli, Kokapet, Ameenpur and Kukatpally.
In this regard, various industrial parks outside the western part of the city will be identified for conversion into IT Parks. This will ensure that the western part of the city, which is already facing traffic congestion, will not be further congested and the strain on infrastructure is reduced.
The GRID guidelines are applicable to the entire HMDA region excluding the western IT cluster, which includes the villages of Gachibowli, Kokapet, Madhapur, Raidurg, Puppalguda, Khajaguda, Narsingi, Nanakramguda, Kondapur, Khanamet, Guttala Begumpet, Manikonda, Nallagandla, Gopanapally and Gowlidoddi.
Six types of incentives
The GRID policy offers six types of incentives to IT units to be located outside western part of the city. The eligible units will be given an automatic power category conversion from commercial to industrial. These units will be given an additional power subsidy of `2 per unit on the Industrial Power Tariff on a reimbursement basis for a period of five years with the total incentive for the unit not exceeding `5 lakh per year.
An additional rental subsidy will be provided for the IT/ITES units for an additional period of two years with an additional cap of `5 lakh per year over the ICT Policy 2016. Any unit providing employment to more than 500 people in the regions covered under the GRID guidelines will be considered as an anchor unit. Further, the developer can utilise a minimum of 50 per cent of the buildup area for non-IT use, for commercial or residential purpose.