Belgaum SEZ to start operations by Dec 2008

Bangalore: Engineering and manufacturing services provider QuEST Global has said Phase One of its special economic zone in Belgaum will be operational by December this year, with three of its subsidiaries moving in.

QuEST has received the Government of India notification for the 300-acre precision engineering zone and permission to lease land to its tenant units for Phase One, a release here said.

Phase Two is expected to be operational by June 2009. The SEZ aims to house original equipment manufacturers, their suppliers, ancillary and related end-user industries, those engaged in machining, special processing, structural composites manufacturing, assembly tooling and warehousing.

The first three residents will be its group companies QuEST Global Engineering, QuEST Global Manufacturing and the joint venture with Magellan Aerospace, Aerospace Processing India. .

By starting operations in Belgaum, a tier-3 town, QuEST said it was ensuring low-cost delivery of services. There are very few precision engineering SEZs in the country, the release said, quoting Mr Aravind Melligeri, Chairman & Co-founder of QuEST.

“Belgaum, as a hub for a supply chain for the aerospace industry is ideally located in the industrial heartland of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. It is also just off the Golden Quadrilateral NH4 highway (Bangalore-Pune-Mumbai highway), with proximity to three sea ports (Goa, Karwar and Mumbai) and three airports (Belgaum, Hubli and Kolhapur). The educational institutes in the region will ensure a good supply of engineers at all levels.”