Anantapur: Holds promise for steel, cement units

Anantapur: Anantapur has a great potential for the development ofindustries due to its strategic location between Bengaluru-Chennai and Bengaluru-Hyderabad routes, and the availability of vast tracts of land. In 2006, the Centre named Anantapur as one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 13 districts in the State currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

The only manufacturing unit in Anantapur district is Kia Motors established at Penukonda with Rs13,000-crore investment with a target to produce 3 lakh cars per year. On an average, it is supposed to produce 25,000 cars per month. Within six months of launching commercial production, the coronavirus pandemic hit its operations, forcing the company to be closed for several months. Currently, the production has slowed down and plant is running only in two shifts. There are no agri-processing units, IT or aqua-related industries in the district. There is a huge potential for horticulture and agri-processing units in view of the district emerging as a horticulture hub. District Collector Gandham Chandrudu is taking interest in promoting fruit processing units but a lot remains to be done to translate the idea into reality.

Abundant mineral wealth

Dolomite, iron ore, limestone, prophylite, quartz and steatite are some of the important minerals that are available in the district in abundance. Gold is found to occur in Ramagiri village in Ramagiri mandal. The place extends over a distance of 14 kilometre. Exploratory mining in the area has pruned about 467 metres of ore shoots with an average width of 100 cms/tonne. Mining operations are expected to be conducted by Bharat Gold Mines Limited. Diamonds are said to be available near Vajrakarur. They mainly occur in pipe rocks.

The district has iron ore, dolomite and limestone mines, which are essential raw materials for the manufacture of steel. Hence, steel plants can be set up in the district but as a deterrent, the Gali Janardhan Reddy mining fiasco forced the government to stop the mining activity.

Already, the district has four cement manufacturing units, and has scope for more such units.

There are no public sector units in the district. The following are the projects in public sector that have been proposed more than a decade ago but are hardly making any headway due to the economic slowdown and other political reasons.

Andhra Pradesh Aerospace & Defence Electronics Park Private Ltd (EMPI Innovations Pvt Ltd) has been proposed to be established with an investment of Rs 6,750 crore dedicated to defence and aerospace industry. It can employ 37,500 people. The other proposed Public sector unit is Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) dedicated to defence and aerospace components manufacture. The estimated establishment cost is Rs 500 crore with an employability of 400 people.

Skill development is a major challenge that universities like JNTU, Central University and SKU can focus on, if industrialisation is the answer to rampant unemployment.