HM Amit Shah to lay foundation stone of Gwalior TMZ on Oct 29
Gwalior, Oct 6
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone of the proposed Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior on October 29, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday.
"Asia's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone is now taking shape in Gwalior through sustained efforts, and the participation of the Union Home Minister in its foundation ceremony marks another important step in taking this project forward," Scindia said in a statement.
The TMZ is being developed as an integrated industrial cluster for telecom equipment and component manufacturing, along with design, research and development, testing, and innovation.
The project is also expected to support industries involved in optical fibre, semiconductors and next-generation 5G and 6G technologies.
The Department of Telecommunications and the Madhya Pradesh government signed an MoU in July for the establishment of the zone.
In the first phase, around 170 acres have been identified for development.
The Centre has committed Rs 493 crore as 100 per cent financial assistance for infrastructure development.
The project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), in which the Madhya Pradesh government will hold a 51 per cent stake and the Department of Telecommunications 49 per cent.
Scindia said the project is envisioned not as a single industrial unit but as a comprehensive ecosystem bringing together telecom manufacturing companies and allied industries.
He said the TMZ is a major step towards creating a complete telecom manufacturing ecosystem in Gwalior, encompassing manufacturing, design, research and development, testing, and innovation.
According to the Minister, more than 24 companies have initiated the application process for setting up units in the zone.
Investment proposals worth over Rs 5,500 crore have emerged from investor interactions held in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with the potential to generate more than 18,000 employment opportunities.
The New Delhi investor meet resulted in investment commitments of around Rs 3,500 crore, with the potential to create approximately 14,000 jobs.
The Mumbai investor meet, held in August, attracted commitments of around Rs 2,000 crore and an estimated 4,000 employment opportunities.
Additional proposals worth around Rs 700 crore-Rs 800 crore emerged during a subsequent investor interaction in Bengaluru.
The zone is planned on a plug-and-play model, under which companies will have access to ready infrastructure and common facilities for commencing manufacturing operations.
It is intended to strengthen domestic telecom production, reduce dependence on imports and support research, innovation and participation in global supply chains.
Scindia has been reviewing the project with officials from the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government and recently inspected the identified site in Gwalior.
The state government has provided the identified land free of cost and is also offering incentives to investors.
The project is being positioned as part of the Centre's efforts to expand domestic telecom manufacturing and support the broader goal of making India a global hub for telecom products and technologies.
— IANS
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