Centre sees good potential in Vizag-Kakinada Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Industrial Region

Visakhapatnam: The Central government is planning to make Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Industrial Region (PCPIR) policy more attractive with the involvement of all the stakeholders by way of discussion to bring about desirable changes in the National Chemical policy and redrafting the existing National Petrochemical policy, said secretary of Union Chemicals and Petrochemicals Ministry P Raghavendra Rao.

delivering a key lecture in a seminar organised by FICCI and AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation, on ‘India Chem 2018–Industry Meet’ here on Monday, Raghavendra Rao said the Visakhapatnam-Kakinada-PCPIR region has good potential and investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh due to good connectivity by rail, road, sea and air ports to all places including hinterland regions.

To promote chemicals and petrochemicals sector, Rao reiterated that the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is organising India Chem-2018 and 10th biennial international exhibition and conference at Mumbai from October 4 to 6 to showcase opportunities and government initiatives for sustained growth in the sector and provide a platform for investors, both domestic and international and other stakeholders to interact and forge alliances.

Welcoming the delegates, AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation Vice Chairman Sudhir said chemical industry in India is a diversified one and mainstay of industrial and agricultural development of the country and provides building blocks for several downstream industries such as textiles, papers, paints, soaps, detergents, pharmaceuticals, varnish.

Backed by one of the strongest GDP growth rates in the world, the future looks bright for the Indian chemical industry and give a fillip to “Make in India” initiative of the Government of India. Indeed, it is a very welcome initiative that the government is planning to bring a new policy to promote the domestic industry and curb imports, Sudhir said.

While presenting future potential and investment opportunities in the VK-PCPIR, VUDA Vice Chairman P Basanth Kumar said that VUDA was hand holding the PCPIR project and sufficient land was available for the potential investors in the anchor units in the region. The state government was providing all kinds of infrastructure facilities with external linkages supported by the Central government, he added.

The center of gravity for the chemical industry is moving to the eastern side of India due to over representation and heavy freight costs in Dahej-PCPIR region in Gujarat on the western side, and chemical companies are well-positioned to take advantage of the transition, the speakers opined.

Joint Secretary, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Ministry Samir Kumar Biswas, Kamal Tandon, Senior Officer-GAIL, Rangaswamy Parthasarathy, member, FICCI’s Chemical Committee, Ramalingeswara Rao, General Manager District Industries Centre and senior officials from APIIC were present.