Rajasthan calling: State seeks to boost investment from TN

CHENNAI: After Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, its now Rajasthan's turn to seek investments from industrialists from Tamil Nadu.
The desert state is looking to boost investments in healthcare, auto, hardware, and electronic equipment and state government officials are in talks with various companies and industrialists from Tamil Nadu.
"There is lot of interest from entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu to invest in the region.We will hold separate meetings with the Rajasthani diaspora at a later date", minister of industries of Rajasthan Gajendra Singh Khimsar said. He was speaking at 'Resurgent Rajastha', a road show held in the city on Thursday. A group of bureaucrats from Rajasthan will meet senior Hyundai officials on Friday. "This is just an exploratory meeting and nothing has been finalized as yet," an official from Hyundai said.
Last year, glass maker Saint-Gobain India commissioned a glass manufacturing facility at Bhiwadi, Rajasthan with an investment of 1,000 crore. "The state is an attractive region for those who want to set up their second manufacturing facility and also cater to the northern market on account of its proximity to the NCR region," director operations of Saint-Gobain India, SN Eisenhower said.
And as a fillip to industrial investment in the state, the industries minister also announced that the entire process of land acquisition for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) has been completed in Rajasthan. "Around 40% of the land for the DMIC corridor runs through Rajasthan," Khimsar said.
In the Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana region which falls under the corridor, an integrated industrial township is under development. A similar township with other support infrastructure and projects is also planned in the Jodhpur-Pali- Marwar area under DMIC in the first phase.
The state has an incentive scheme for investments. "Under this scheme, any business investing more than 500 crore or employing more than 500 people can give a wish list to the government. Concessions could be given after going through the proposals," principal secretary, industries of Rajasthan Veenu Gupta said.
Rajasthan is also looking to strengthen tourism. The new tourism policy which may be announced on June 30 may offer various concessions to hotel and resort owners to promote tourism. "There will be 100% exemption from conversion charges for converting an agricultural land to a hotel or resort. There will also be exemption of luxury tax during the lean season. This has been done in order to promote tourism in the state during the summer months," Gupta said.