Union Cabinet has approved the development of 12 industrial smart cities across 10 states, with an estimated total cost of Rs 28,602 crore. The project is expected to attract investments worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore and generate around 9.39 lakh direct jobs, with the potential to create up to 30 lakh indirect jobs.
12 New Smart Cities, 10 Lakh New Jobs
Why In News
- Union Cabinet has approved the development of 12 industrial smart cities across 10 states, with an estimated total cost of Rs 28,602 crore. The project is expected to attract investments worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore and generate around 9.39 lakh direct jobs, with the potential to create up to 30 lakh indirect jobs.
New Projects
- Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that these projects will be implemented across six industrial corridors, including the Amritsar-Kolkata, Delhi-Mumbai, Vizag-Chennai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Nagpur, and Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridors.
- “These industrial areas will be located in Khurpia in Uttrakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerela, Agra and Prayagraj in UP, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in AP and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan,” a statement by the government said.
- Cabinet has also greenlit three major railway infrastructure projects totalling 296 kilometers in length, with an estimated cost of Rs 6,456 crore.
- These projects will significantly enhance rail connectivity and are expected to stimulate regional development, particularly in districts like Odisha’s Nuapada and Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum.
- These sites will soon host state-of-the-art industrial smart cities, each designed to foster a vibrant industrial ecosystem. The proposed industrial nodes would focus on creating regional manufacturing hubs across the country.
- “About 10 lakh direct jobs and 30 lakh indirect employment potential will be created through this. Manufacturing activities from all over the world are shifting to India.
- Be it electronics manufacturing, mobile manufacturing or defence manufacturing, all these are shifting to India. These corridors and these industrial area projects will accelerate that shift,” Vaishnaw said at a Cabinet briefing.
- The NICDP aims to facilitate investments from both large anchor industries and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), serving as catalysts to achieve the government’s ambitious goal of $2 trillion in exports by 2030.
- The development of these industrial cities is envisioned as greenfield smart cities built to global standards, embodying the ‘plug-n-play’ and ‘walk-to-work’ concepts.
- This innovative approach ensures that the cities will be equipped with advanced infrastructure designed to support sustainable and efficient industrial operations. The projects are closely aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, which focuses on integrated and seamless multi-modal connectivity.
Conclusion
- “By positioning India as a strong player in the Global Value Chains” this project will provide developed land parcels ready for immediate allotment, making it easier for domestic and international investors to set up manufacturing units.
- “This aligns with the broader objective of creating an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or a self-reliant India, fostering economic growth through enhanced industrial output and employment,” the government said.
