Rajasthan refinery petro-zone offers major investment opportunity for petrochemical industries, says Additional Chief Secy
Jaipur, July 23
With production commencing at the Rajasthan Refinery, the state government is positioning the adjoining Petro-Zone as a key investment destination for petrochemical industries, citing assured availability of raw materials and significant industrial growth potential.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Aparna Arora said the ready availability of refinery by-products would make the Petro-Zone an attractive and commercially viable location for investors.
She said that industries manufacturing products based on High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and Polypropylene (PP) would have assured access to raw materials, creating strong opportunities for investment in the petrochemical sector.
Arora directed the Department of Industries and the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) to identify potential investors and actively encourage them to establish manufacturing units in the Petro-Zone.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Department of Industries, RIICO, the Petroleum Department, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Rajasthan Refinery.
Arora said that preference should be given to industries with low water requirements or those capable of using treated water.
She noted that entrepreneurs setting up units in the Petro-Zone would have immediate access to refinery feedstock, eliminating delays in procuring raw materials.
She called for coordinated efforts among the Industries Department, RIICO, the Petroleum Department, HPCL and refinery management to promote investment in the region.
According to Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum), developing downstream petrochemical industries within the state would enable local utilisation of refinery by-products, attract fresh industrial investment, generate direct and indirect employment, increase state revenue and strengthen Rajasthan's economy.
She directed RIICO and the Industries Department to assess market demand and supply prospects for petrochemical products and identify industries best suited for the Petro-Zone.
She also asked RIICO to ensure that essential infrastructure, including roads, power supply and water, is developed to facilitate industrial investment.
RIICO Managing Director Suresh Ola and Industries Commissioner Nilabh Saxena said the Industries Department, RIICO, the Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP) and HPCL would jointly engage with prospective investors to promote the Petro-Zone.
HPCL Director (Marketing) Amit Garg said the Petro-Zone could support a wide range of downstream manufacturing industries producing items such as water storage tanks, carry bags, shopping bags, fertiliser, chemical and cement packaging bags, plastic ropes, packaging pouches for edible oil, ghee and milk, plastic containers, chemical drums, crates, irrigation and household pipes, road dividers, masks, BOPP products, diapers, gloves, nets and other plastic goods.
He said investors would benefit from assured raw material availability, negligible inventory costs and incentives offered for setting up units in the Petro-Zone.
Rajasthan Refinery CEO Kamlakar Vikhar gave a detailed presentation on the refinery's products and production capacity during the meeting.
Senior officials, including Special Secretary (Mines) Namrata Vrishni, Director (Petroleum) Awadhesh Singh, representatives of RIICO and HPCL, and other departmental officers, were also present.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the investment potential is promising, I hope the state government doesn't ignore the environmental impact. Petrochemical industries are notorious polluters. The article mentions treated water usage, but what about air emissions and solid waste? Rajasthan's ecosystem is fragile. Need strict monitoring, not just investment targets.
Good to see HPCL and RIICO working together. The list of potential products - from water tanks to medical masks - shows this could really boost local manufacturing. But I hope the small-scale plastic manufacturers from Rajasthan also get a fair chance to set up here, not just big corporate players. Achha mauka hai Viksit Rajasthan ka!
The emphasis on low water consumption industries is very practical for Rajasthan. But I'm concerned about the mention of "carry bags" and "shopping bags" - are we going to double down on single-use plastics despite the ban? They should focus more on recyclable or biodegradable alternatives. Employment generation should not come at the cost of environment.
Finally some concrete progress on the refinery's downstream integration! The assured raw material supply is a game changer for entrepreneurs in the region. That said, RIICO must ensure basic infrastructure is ready before investors come knocking - power cuts in Rajasthan are still a real issue. Hope they sort out the road connectivity too.
Nice to see the government thinking about value addition within the state instead of just exporting raw materials. The employment generation potential for local youth is significant. I just hope wages and working conditions in these factories will be regulated properly. We don't want another industrial zone with exploitation of workers. 🤞
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.