Two new SEZ projects are slated to come up at the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ), Asia’s first export processing zone located in Gujarat, with proposals under active consideration by the Board of Approval. The projects have got inprinciple approvals by the Gujarat government.
Of the two, a project proposed by Essar Power SEZ will have an initial investment of Rs 50 crore while the other, proposed by Arham SEZ (I) Pvt. Ltd. is pegged at Rs. 230 crore.
According to details shared at a programme organised by KASEZ in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, Essar Power Limited has proposed a sector-specific biofuels and biorefiner SEZ in Khambhalia taluka and Arham SEZ (I) Pvt. Ltd has proposed a large multi-product SEZ at Vadala village.
Meanwhile, Dhyaneshwar Patil, zonal development commissioner, Gujarat SEZs and EOUs, said exports from Gujarat SEZs have increased from Rs 1,79,808 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 3,00,793 crore in 2025-26, registering growth of nearly 67%. He said Gujarat has contributed 21% of India’s total SEZ exports. He further said that investments in Gujarat SEZs have grown from Rs 122,654 crore to Rs 228,624 crore, while employment has increased from 63,475 to over 2.22 lakh during the said period.
Underscoring Gujarat’s emergence as a high-technology manufacturing hub, he noted that four semiconductor SEZs, including projects by CG Semi Technologies, Kaynes Semicon, Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing and Micron Technology, have been notified in the state. Patil said they have targeted 20% exports and 10% year-on-year growth for the SEZs in Gujarat.
Over 3,600 hectares of land are available across operational SEZs of Kandla, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Aqualine, GIDC Gandhinagar Electronic Park, and Aspen. India has about 265 operational SEZs, out of which about 20 are in Gujarat.
Also speaking at the event, Ajay Bhadoo, additional secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated that India is strengthening special economic zones in the country, and they would play a significant role in achieving the target of India becoming a US $30 trillion economy by 2047. “As the global markets integrate further, exports will always thrive, and the SEZs will have a lot of opportunities,” he said.
Talking about exports, Bhadoo said that from facilitating export-led economic growth, India’s exports have now become a powerhouse of growth. He said in 2025-26, India’s overall exports recorded a high of US $863.1 billion, over 4% growth as compared to the previous year. Over 500 new product lines have been introduced, and products have been exported to 30 new countries in addition to the existing ones.
Bhadoo emphasised that the government is currently actively promoting “Brand India”. He also said that the government has launched the Export Promotion Mission with an outlay of Rs 25,600 crore for FY 2025-26 to 2030-31 to strengthen the export ecosystem, support MSMEs, and accelerate integration with global value chains.
TOPICSexportsThis article was first uploaded on June seventeen, twenty twenty-six, at thirty-eight minutes past five in the evening. © The Indian Express (P) Ltd