Success unlimited

A VIEW OF Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. KINFRA proposes to set up an SEZ for electronics industries at Hi-tech Park in Kalamassery. - S. GOPAKUMAR

KINFRA, which facilitates the development of industrial infrastructure in Kerala, has made remarkable achievements in just 13 years.

THE Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) has completed over a decade of efforts towards industrial development. It is a statutory body formed by the Government of Kerala in 1993. KINFRA's main aim is to facilitate the development of industrial infrastructure in the . It has the authority to acquire land at strategic locations for the orderly development of industries.

KINFRA has catered to industry-specific infrastructure requirements by setting up a number of industrial parks, townships, zones, and so on across the State. The facilities provided in the parks include developed land, dedicated power supply, continuous water supply and communication facilities in addition to supporting social infrastructure facilities such as administrative blocks, banks, post offices and round-the-clock security. The industry-specific parks established by KINFRA provide a ready-made manufacturing environment to facilitate easy start-up of industrial units with the minimum of time and cost. There is also a single-window clearance mechanism inside the KINFRA parks for speedy issue of the licences, clearances and certificates required legally for setting up units.

So far, KINFRA has successfully developed 14 theme-based industrial parks in the State. These include KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Parks Ltd., Kochi; KINFRA International Apparel Park, Thiruvananthapuram; KINFRA Film & Video Park, Thiruvananthapuram; KINFRA Food Processing Park, Malappuram; Hi-tech Park, Kochi; Neo Space, Malappuram; and KINFRA Small Industries Parks in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod districts.

Apart from these, KINFRA has also developed joint venture projects such as Rubber Park at Irapuram in Ernakulam district, Seafood Park at Aroor and Western India KINFRA Ltd. (WISE Park) at Palakkad. The development of industrial infrastructure in its small industries parks, where a number of units have established their manufacturing activities, is under the Integrated Infrastructure Devel<147,1,7>opment Centre (IIDC) scheme of the Department of Small Scale Industries, Government of India (GOI). KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park (KEPIP) was developed on 180 acres (one acre = 0.4 hectares) of land at Kakkanad in Ernakulam district, under the GOI-sponsored EPIP scheme. The park caters specifically to the needs of export-oriented industrial units. KINFRA International Apparel Park, a theme park providing ultra-modern infrastructure exclusively for garment industries, was developed on 45 acres of land at Menamkulam, Thiruvananthapuram. An Apparel Training & Designing Centre has also been set up in the park.

KINFRA Film & Video Park, the first infotainment park in the country, was developed on 75 acres of land at Kazhakkuttom, Thiruvananthapuram, to cater to industries in the entertainment and visual media, and it consists of modern processing laboratories, digital recording studios and outdoor and indoor shooting locales.

KINFRA Food Processing Park, a GOI scheme at Kakkancherry in Malappuram district, is the first food-processing park in India under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and was dedicated to the nation by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in September 2003.

An autonomous society, the Agency for the Development of Food Processing Industries, or ADFIK, was also formed under KINFRA in 2004.

KINFRA proposes to set up a `product specific Special Economic Zone (SEZ)' with world-class infrastructure for electronics industries on 30 acres of land at Hi-tech Park in Kalamassery, Ernakulam district. The proposed SEZ will create a superior environment for the development of high-technology, non-polluting, export-oriented industries in Kerala, thereby creating a world-class industrial township, which could attract global players to the State.

Other projects on the anvil include an SEZ at Kazhakkuttom using the ambience and facilities of KINFRA Film & Video Park to provide world-class infrastructure facilities for animation and gaming industries; a product-specific SEZ for food processing, using the facilities available at KINFRA Food Processing Park, Kakkancherry, with dedicated power supply, uninterrupted water supply, effluent treatment facilities, cold storage and warehousing facilities, in addition to common facilities such as a canteen, a guest house, banks and a post office.

The GOI has accorded "in-principle" approval for the development of the proposed SEZs. Additionally, a KINFRA-World Gold Council (WGC) gold jewellery park has also been proposed in Ernakulam as a joint venture effort of KINFRA and the WGC with the participation of private sector partners. The proposed KINFRA-WGC gold jewellery park is aimed at investors in the areas of gold and gems processing and jewellery manufacturing. The park will be a one-stop destination where bulk orders can be placed on more than one manufacturer.

KINFRA's third food processing industrial park will be established in Wayanad district.

KINFRA proposes to develop a township, Print Village, which will be the first of its kind in Asia. The village will have a printing division, an advertisement division, a manufacturing divi<147,2,1>sion, a packaging division, a research and development (R&D) wing, a training centre and common amenities, all housed under one roof. Print Village is envisaged on 100 acres of land, which forms part of the KINFRA Industrial Development Zone near Walayar in Palakkad district. The village will provide space and infrastructure facilities such as transport, electricity, water, drainage facilities and a modern telecommunication system. Apart from the industrial units, the village will also have amenities, such as hotels, health clubs, conference halls, guest houses and restaurants to cater to the needs of its clients.

Taking into consideration the immense potential of biotechnology, KINFRA has envisaged the development of a biotechnology park on 50 acres of land at Kalamassery as a joint venture with a private developer. A Biotechnology Incubation Centre (BTIC) is also proposed in the biotechnology park. The BTIC will house common equipment and instrument facilities such as green house and hardening facilities; tissue culture facilities; analytical and quality control laboratories; extraction facilities for plant-based, value-added materials; and a bioinformatics and patent facilitation centre. It would also offer for lease to industry fully furnished R&D wet laboratory modules, with provision for water, power and drainage.

A second food processing industrial park is being set up by KINFRA on 85 acres in Enadimangalam village of Adoor taluk for the manufacture and marketing of value-added food materials such as pineapple, jackfruit and banana. An area of about 37 acres in the park is being developed to set up an IIDC under the IID scheme of the Ministry of Small Scale Industries.

An agro food Business Incubation Centre is being developed in KINFRA Food Processing Industrial Park, Kakkancherry. A Food Technology Centre (FTC) and a Food Biotechnology Centre (FBC) are also planned as part of the Business Incubation Centre, which will be equipped with pilot production facilities such as fermenters, a canning and bottling line and an aseptic processing plant to support the food industry.

A modern food quality assurance laboratory is also being established in Kochi. The new facility is expected to cater to the needs of food processing industries in South India by ensuring compliance with national food standards and with quality management systems such as ISO 9000, HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point). As part of the second phase development of KINFRA Film & Video Park, KINFRA has obtained financial assistance amounting to Rs.8 crores, under the ASIDE scheme of the Ministry of Commerce, for the development of an animation zone in the park. An International Animation School too is being developed on 4.5 acres of land there, in collaboration with the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.

A textile centre is being set up on 126 acres of land at Taliparamba in Kannur district with financial assistance under the Textile Centre Infrastructure Development (TCID) scheme of the Ministry of Textiles. Taking into consideration the vitality and immense commercial potential of the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) sector, KINFRA also proposes to set up an international exhibition and trade centre at Kalamassery with private sector participation.

KINFRA is developing its seventh small industries park on 30 acres of prime land at Kunnamthanam in Pathanamthitta to cater exclusively to small-scale industries in sectors such as building materials, plastic products, general engineering and ceramic products. The project will obtain financial assistance under the IIDC scheme of the Ministry of Small Scale Industries.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan laid the foundation stone for KINFRA Integrated Textile Park at Kanjikode in Palakkad district on November 3. KINFRA proposes to set up the textile park on 350 acres of land. The park will be an integrated facility with the private sector setting up spinning mills, integrated plants for weaving, processing and woven garments, weaving units, knitting units, units for yarn and cloth processing; and units for woven garments and knitwear. It will also have facilities ranging from common infrastructure to captive power plants and effluent treatment plants.

A.S. Suresh Babu is the Managing Director of KINFRA.