Gujarat has grabbed a lion’s share, 45 percent, of the country’s total exports that were made from Special Economic Zones or SEZs during the year 2013-14. However, it is also one of the four states to register a de-growth in exports during the last fiscal.
A total of 192 functional SEZs in India have together clocked exports of over Rs 4,94,000 crore during 2013-14. Of these, SEZs in Gujarat alone registered Rs 2,25,042 crore, states figures from Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry tabled in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month. Maharashtra with Rs 56,399 crore and Karnataka with Rs 51,372 crore stood second and third, respectively, among the states.
Though Gujarat does not have the highest number of functional SEZs in the country, it has still managed to grab a lion’s share in terms of overall exports from SEZs. The state with 18 SEZs, currently exports different products and services and is placed fifth among 15 states that have functional SEZs (as on June 2014). Andhra Pradesh (42 SEZs includes those in Telegana), Tamil Nadu (34), Maharashtra (25) and Karnataka (25) have more SEZs than Gujarat.
However, the exports clocked by Gujarat was Rs 1895 crore less than the Rs 2,26,937 crore clocked in 2012-13. The other states that witnessed a similar de-growth in exports during 2013-14 are Kerala which has 14 SEZs, Chattisgarh (1 SEZ) and Punjab (2 SEZs).
As far as employment in SEZs is considered, Gujarat stands at a lowly sixth position with 75,586 persons employed in it’s SEZs. States like Maharashtra (3.39 lakh persons), Karnataka (1.93 lakh) and Tamil Nadu (2.68 lakh) Andhra Pradesh (1.57 lakh) and Uttar Pradesh (83,900) had provided employment to more people in their respective SEZs.
Compared to 2012-13, states like Maharashtra (68,785 persons), Karnataka (52,320) and Tamil Nadu (30,455) have provided more new jobs in 2013-14, compared to 24,396 persons employed by SEZs in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat, over 57 SEZs have been approved by the Board of Approval for SEZs (May, 2013) in the state. These SEZs in the state will cover a total of 36,800 hectares and proposes to provide employment to 21.6 lakh persons.
