Developers of SEZs projects in Gujarat are pulling out all stops to catch the attention of SMEs in the state by offering them various tax benefits and added incentives. In fact, the developers are formulating different strategies to attract large number of SMEs to set their shops in the Rs.650 core-worth IT SEZ project, planned near Science City in Ahmedabad. 

The SMEs connected with Gujarat’s IT industry will predictably get a major boost, due to number of IT Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being developed in the state. The Centre has already given the ‘go ahead’ to set up almost five IT SEZ projects in the state. Most of these SEZ’s will be aggressively targeting SMEs.

To cement their own growth prospects, SEZ developers in Gujarat are sketching-out different strategies to attract the attention of SMEs, since they have learnt that their future growth depends on how best they support the development of small and mid-sized units, informed, Arghya Banerjee, Senior Analyst at SKP Securities in Kolkata.

The SEZ project scheduled to come up near Science City in Ahmedabad, will reportedly cover over a 26-acre of land and has already received a green signal from the Union ministry of Commerce and industry. The project is said to commence from September 2009, and is expected to get over by March 2011.

Industry experts are pretty optimistic about the upcoming IT SEZ projects in Gujarat. According to them IT SEZ projects in Gujarat will attract huge number of SMEs, once the Software Technology Parks in India (STPI) scheme culminates in March 2010.

Another industry analyst D Dasgupta pointed out that IT SEZ projects in the state will attract more SMEs as they could take leverage of tax benefits and other additional incentives

Calica Construction and Impex Pvt Ltd., an Ahmedabad-based company, will be responsible for commencing work on the Rs 650 crore SEZ project.