Taiwan keen to set up manufacturing units in Andhra

Hyderabad: A Taiwanese delegation comprising government officials, bankers and industrialists, which is on a two-day visit to evaluate the prospects of establishing manufacturing units in the state, on Friday met chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The chief minister assured them of all the support for setting up manufacturing operations in the state besides promising to send an official delegation to Taiwan for visiting various industrial facilities.

He directed B Sam Bob, principal secretary, industries department, to workout details for sending an official team to Taiwan with a view to assessing the potential foreign direct investment (FDI) that can be attracted into the manufacturing sector in the state.

Taiwan's interest in Andhra primarily stems from the example of the Apache Footwear SEZ, promoted by Taiwanese investors, which was up and running in a short time.

Many more companies, with operations ranging from electrical equipment to battery manufacturing, propose to set up such labour-intensive units in Andhra on the lines of Apache, according to state government officials.

On Thursday, the team visited the Apache SEZ, which has expanded its workforce to around 5,000 in the first year of operations, in Nellore district apart from checking out location in the nearby areas.

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), which provides land and infrastructure to industrial units, made a presentation to the visiting delegation today while explaining the state's industrial policy and incentives available to the units.

According to officials, the Taiwanese are looking at an opportunity of establishing a cluster of manufacturing units by establishing a multi-product SEZ.