“Rajasthan, India’s “”sunshine state“” boasts a rich and varied cultural heritage dating back many centuries. The state attracts hordes of international and domestic tourists every year, keen to absorb the sights, sounds and smells of its festivals, fairs, temples and forts.

In recent years, Rajasthan has also emerged as a key destination for business and industry, chiefly on account of a few key developments:

1) Strategic Location (Ease of Access): The state is strategically located in close proximity to (and comprising 23% of) the Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR), the second largest urban agglomeration (UA) of the world. This means areas like Bawal, Neemrana, Bhiwadi, Alwar, Jaipur and Ajmer have unprecedented ease of access from Delhi’s spacious and modern ‘T3’ terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport , Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh International Airport, and the well-served railway stations located at Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur and Ajmer.

2) Quality Infrastructure (Low Set-up Cost): Development of the approx. 1,500 km Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) in alignment with the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), of which 46% area lies within Rajasthan. The Super Thermal Power Station at Kota operated by the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd. (RVUNL) has a rated capacity of over 1,200 MW. The plant has received accolades from the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India for its superior performance. This means manufacturing units and services businesses in towns along this route will have access to world class power and transportation infrastructure.

3) Skills (Competitive Manpower Costs): Rajasthan is home to a number of modern medicine, technology and management institutions. What’s more, Jaipur, the state’s capital was rated by Hewitt Associates as being the “”No. 1 in terms of Talent Sourcing and Employee Costs”” (Source: www.investrajasthan.com).

4) Healthy Industrial Climate (Stable Policy Environment and Good Labour Relations): With 252 mines currently in operation, Rajasthan accounts for the entire production of lead and zinc concentrates of India. Rajasthan houses 322 industrial areas comprising 4 Agro Food Parks, 3 EPIPs and 2 SEZs. The EPIP in Jaipur is the largest in north India while the IT SEZ in the state capital is the largest in the country (Source: www.investrajasthan.com). Mahindra World City (Jaipur) Ltd. runs the prestigious Mahindra World City Jaipur, located off NH8, that spans across 3,000 acres and is a joint development with Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO). It has been selected as one of 16 projects worldwide by the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) (Source: http://www.mahindraworldcity.com/about_us_overview.aspxhttp://www.mahindraworldcity.com). Together, the SEZs, IT Parks and Industrial Estates of rajasthan are home to the “”Who’s-Who”” of industry from around the globe, with prominent names like BASF, BMW, Honda, TTK Healthcare, Federal Mogul, Lincoln Electric, Cap Gemini, Infosys, Mastek, Wipro Technologies and many others present in a significant manner in the state.

5) High Share of India GDP (Captive Market): At an estimated Rs. 513,688 crore (units of 10 million) in terms of nominal GDP during FY 2013-14, the state of Rajasthan ranked 8th among India’s “”Top 10 States”” by share of GDP (Source: Planning Commission of India). The state is also home to a population of nearly 70 million (Source: Census 2011), with a per capita GDP of Rs. 53,735 during FY 2011-12 (latest estimate available via Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_by_GDP). This makes it an attractive consumer market in its own right, with the added attraction of proximity to the Delhi NCR region. Thus, firms producing goods for the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) as per extant Govt. of India policy provisions, can readily tap into the large, captive Rajasthan and Delhi NCR region markets.”
 

6) Special Package for ESDM Sector: The Government of Rajasthan in its Budget FY 2014-15 announced that a special package for ESDM industries will be provided shortly, to facilitate investment in the ESDM sector in the state.
In view of the above developments, RIICO, ELCINA Electronics Manufacturing Cluster Bhiwadi and Mahindra World City Jaipur have come together to partner with CyberMedia Group to invite and facilitate interactions with interested ESDM players, who wish to understand the policy benefits and set up assembly, manufacturing or R&D units in Rajasthan.

If Electronics is a strategic element of your business growth and expansion strategy, I urge you to REGISTER at http://cmrindia.com/esdm-investors-meet-2014_register/ along with key members of your leadership team. Alternately, please write to mkaur@cmrindia.com to block your seat.