Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ)

Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) earlier known, as the Kandla Free Trade Zone is located at the port town Gandhidham in the state of Gujarat. One of the most significant features of this special economic zone at Kandla is that it is strictly a union government zone amidst others with more of private participation. The Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) is the first in Asia and largest multi-product Special Economic Zone in India. The concept of the Special Economic Zone at Kandla has been formulated on the basis of the new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) scheme introduced in the Export and Import Policy from the year 2000.

The main purpose is to offer an environment for export production that is internationally competitive and free from hazards. The KASEZ offers all facilities to the exporters and hence it is in demand among the export-oriented manufacturing units in India. The net foreign exchange earning of the Kandla Special Economic Zone is more than 60%, the highest among others across the country. There are over 15,000 workers employed in the units of Kandla SEZ including many women workers.

The Kandla Special Economic Zone following the Govt. of Gujarat’s Policy on SEZ offers infrastructural facilities encompassing land, factory premises, abundant labor supply, co-operating administration support, water, power, clearance benefits, telecommunications, and urban transport services. Recently, TATA Consultancy Services has announced the launch of PKI or Public Key Infrastructure solution for the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ). As a result KASEZ today is a part of Tata Consultancy Services Certifying Authority (TCS-CA) trust network and will behave as a Registration Authority to TCS-CA. Moreover, the SEZ at Kandla is the largest in India and the most spacious among all other SEZs within the country. Along with the highly developed infrastructure the Kandla Special Economic Zone has a noteworthy geographically strategic position, as it is located only at a distance of 9kms away from the modern and all-weather friendly port of Kandla in Gujarat. Such facilities within the Kandla SEZ make it the best possible and most lucrative SEZ unit for manufacturing goods for export-oriented trading activities. The major industries operating their export-oriented units in the Kandla Special Economic Zone includes Gems and Jewellery, Electronic, Software, Textile and Garments, Engineering Goods, Sports Goods, and Leather Products.

The highlights of the infrastructure and incentives of the Kandla SEZ are –

The SEZ unit at Kandla is treated as foreign territory for the purpose of trade operations and duties and tariffs
For import activities no licence is required and import of capital goods, spares, consumables, and raw materials is exempt from customs duty
100% Foreign Direct Investment is permitted in the manufacturing sector and for the development of infrastructure
Subcontracting abroad is permitted
The import and export cargo items are free from all routine examination by Customs
The Kandla SEZ provides support services like banking, post office clearing agents, restaurants, and dispensary within the zone complex. State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, and Dena Bank all have their branches in the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ).

Contact details of the Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) is as follows-
The Development Commissioner
Kandla Special Economic Zone
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Government of India
Gandhidham (Kutch), Gujarat -370 230
India.
Phone: +91 2836 252474
Fax: +91 2836 252250/252194
E-mail: [email protected]

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