By Rajiv Theodore

New Delhi, Dec. 26, 2018: One of world’s biggest infrastructure projects, the US$90 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is chugging along at a steady pace, its tempo astounding cynics.

At a recent interaction with Matters India, some top men behind the mega project’s steering wheel shared their experiences and progress.

To put it in perspective, DMIC is India’s first mega corridor project which would include 24 industrial regions, eight smart cities, two international airports, five power projects, two mass rapid transit systems and two logistical hubs.

The 1,504-km-long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) is the backbone of the DMIC. Besides Japan which has already pledged $4.5 billion via its lending arms Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) countries like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Canada and the United States too are keen on investing in the project which is creating a global manufacturing and investment destination.

Work started after almost a decade after the Manmohan Singh government announced the $90-billion (Rs 6-trillion) DMIC, men and machines have started picking up pace in some of the eight investment regions across the six states through which the project runs across– overcoming teething problems and delays amidst sceptics nearly writing it off.

Sharing its progress across the country last week, CEO and MD Alkesh K Sharma said, “We have ensured that the investor does not face any bottlenecks. All help would be offered through a single window especially the clearances. The investor need to only start their business. We are offering large litigation free land contiguous land tracts.’’

He pointed out that states today are more pro-active as far as ease of doing business goes. There is more competition amongst the states, he said. Investors, Alkesh said, will get all help through a swift single window clearance and other speedy and seamless facilities in setting up their businesses in these high-tech zones. The project runs through six states—Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

‘’We are future proofing infrastructure for at least for 50 years. ‘’ The convention centre that is coming up at Dwarka, New Delhi and completed next year would be the largest in South Asia. One of the highlights would be an integrated multi-modal logistics hub known as ‘Freight Village’ at Nangal Chaudhary in Haryana under the DMIC,’’ Vice President DMICDC Abhishek Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary also said that in partnership with New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organisation, Japan, and Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) plan to set up a range of solar projects on the lines of the recently commissioned 5 MW solar project at Neemrana, Rajasthan. The projects would come up along the industrial corridors and manufacturing zones of DMIC.

Narendra Bhooshan, managing director of DMIC— Integrated Industrial Township Greater Noida Limited, (IITGNL) sharing his side of the progress said, “An investment of 4,304 crore (43 billion) rupees has been approved by NICDIT.’’

NICDIT is an apex body under the administrative control of DIPP, Commerce Ministry for the development of industrial corridors including DMIC. The project SPV—DMIC—IITGNL would be the nodal agency. About 80 percent of the land for the project has been acquired already. Elaborating further, he said there would be an inter-state Bus Terminal and Local Bus Terminal with bus bays. The SPV will also set up an Indian railway passenger station, Bhooshan added.

‘’We are looking for investment partners by next year as all the approvals are ready. For the proposed Jewar airport, an RFP will be out soon which will be built over 1350 Hectares with one runway and passenger handling capacity of 65-70 million in phase-one,’’ Bhooshan said. He said that the SPV is expecting 100 billion rupees of investment to be driven by the airport in the region.

‘’Dholera the only ‘Platinum Rated’ city in India would also have less power loses (about 2-3 percent) and thus can make your (business) highly competitive,’’ Managing Director of Dholera Industrial City Development J P Shivhare said while sharing recent progress of DMIC Smart Cities and other DMIC projects here in the capital.

“Assuming the per unit month of consumption is 700,000 units for 2 MW of power, the total saving as compared to other states will be around 21.8 million rupees annually at Dholera,’’ Shivhare explained. As of today, from the Committed project cost US$ 700 million contracts worth US$430 million have been awarded, Shivhare stressed.

Gujarat is a policy driven state that boasts of transparent policies, higher tax incentives, quick land allotments (90 days), logistics support, 6-lane expressway (Ahmedabad-Dholera) lower utility cost and other future read infrastructure, Shivhare said.

One of the key attractions of this futuristic city is its 11 percent green coverage. Shivhare said Dholera is offering a 35 percent cheaper electricity, than in any part of the country. Dholera the largest of the eight industrial smart cities being developed in the first phase of the $100 billion DMIC project, has invited investors to set up business in this upcoming greenfield city in Gujarat.

About 300,000 new jobs have been created at present, Kailash Jadhav, MD, Aurangabad Industrial Township said. Land parcels of about 1,000 acres are ready for developers where Korea’s chaebol, Hyosung has pitched in. AURIC is a greenfield smart industrial city being developed across nearly 7,900 acres as part of Shendra– Bidkin Industrial Area. It is collectively a part of the DMIC.

By end of next year, the Shendra industrial area would be completed. While the adjoining Bidkin industrial area would have a vast space for residences which would boast of the concept of walk to. By next year the infrastructure and utility work would be completed at Shendra while the whole project would be over by 2019 end. Five natural water bodies is being developed which will be part of the landscape, Mr Jadhav said. Shahpur Pallonji group is the lead developer at Shendra.

While at the Bidkin section AURIC project, one of the eight nodes of the ambitious DMIC project, would have large contiguous areas of about 500 acres where L & T group is the lead developer. Honeywell is the key technology partner. Land allocation has been speeded up and everything is done online, he said. The area would have a vast space for residences which would boast of the concept of walk to work.

Elva Du, marketing manager, Chongqing Eternal Experiment Instrument Factory, a Chinese Instrumentation company which is providing its services to DMIC said, “We never knew it would be so easy to do business. In one single window we can get everything.’’

The top-level honchos had converged at a workshop organised by DMIC where Matters India had the opportunity to interact. It was attended by CEOs/MDs of state level DMIC Special Purpose Vehicles. Representatives of various investment promotion agencies of different countries operating in India were also present.