State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) Centre, Chennai

Coimbatore: State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Limited has identified 500 acres of land near Sulur and Karanampettai to set up a defence corridor.

SIPCOT will provide the compensation for patta lands to be acquired.

“As of now, we have identified 500 acres of land near Sulur and Karanampettai. We plan to conduct talks with the landowners to acquire the land from them to set up industrial units in the defence corridor. We are also trying to identify 500 more acres of land in the same locality,” a senior official from SIPCOT said.

He said the SIPCOT would bear the land acquisition cost and later the acquired land will be sold to industries willing to start their units in the defence corridor in Coimbatore.

He said Tata Group has approached SIPCOT seeking land in the defence corridor in Coimbatore. But the group has not informed about how much of land it would need to set up its manufacturing unit to make weapons for the defence sectors.

However, Tata Group officials have been asked to meet SIPCOT officials in Chennai in January 2020.

Similarly, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, is also planning to establish its unit in Coimbatore defence corridor. HAL plays a vital role in manufacturing indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) – Tejas. Coimbatore-based companies have also expressed their interests to set up their units in the corridor, the official said.

In a meeting held recently, a Coimbatore-based industrialist informed SIPCOT and district administration officials that he was ready to provide his 500 acres of land located at Sulthanpet to the defence corridor.

President of Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA) R Ramamurthy said the defence corridor would provide job opportunities to the youths of Coimbatore.

The Codissia Defence innovation and incubation centre will aim to produce seven new products every year. In a detailed project report, Codissia claimed that they can manufacture 75 defence items and they would complete 50 items within a target of three to four years.