Transforming into an industrial hub

Penukonda(Anantapur): The historical town of Penukonda is now emerging as an Industrial town, thanks to the Kia Automobiles project being set up by the South Korean Automobile major in the heart of the town. Spread in 600 acres of land, the Korean cars production unit is being established at a cost of Rs13,000 crores providing employment to 4,000 skilled workers and 7,000 unskilled workers.

District Collector Veera Pandian told ‘The Hans India’ that the company would start its cars production in 2019. Many ancillary industries are also expected to come up in the region. 

The District Industries Centre(DIC) has been receiving new proposals from industrialists for setting up of private industrial parks on the lines of Special Economic Zones(SEZ) in the region. They are seeking land allotment for setting up of aero-space and pharma clusters. The proposals are forwarded to the State government for further action. 

Kia Automobiles project in Penukonda has generated lot of interest among the youth and is kindling the hope of the jobless engineering graduates as the company announced 10,000 jobs. Penukonda of late is emerging as an industrial hub and the Kia Motors has set the tone for industrialisation of the region. 

BHEL and Airbus projects are the major projects already announced in the region. Bharath Electronic Limited(BEL) a central government public sector project costing Rs.750 crores in the sprawling 1,200 acres was announced in Palasamudram mandal in Penukonda region.

National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics is another prestigious institute planned in 500 acres at a cost of Rs.600 crores near Gorantla in Palasamudram mandal.  This is the second in the country after Faridabad in Haryana State and the only institute in South India. 

Penukoda and Hindupur have emerged as industrial centres.   Recently 25 MOUs have been signed with the government by industrialists for setting up of large and medium size industries in Hindupur and other places in the district. Of the 25 projects, 18 are in various stages of implementation. These projects worth more than Rs 30,000 crore investments. 

Now the government has come up with the idea of establishing industrial parks in all the Assembly constituencies. District Industries Centre General Manager G Sudershan Babu told The Hans India that nine industrial estates are being operated in the district and 15 more are in the pipeline. So far about 43 major industries had been established with a total capital of Rs 5,314 crore. 

An MSME industrialist Arun Kumar promoter of automobile engineering unit in Hindupur has said that there is a need to encourage employment generating industries. 

By Ravi P Benjamin