The Delhi government has kicked off the process of setting up an electronic city in the Capital, with officials chalking out a proposal for a campus across 81 acres in Baprola in southwest Delhi.
The ambitious plan, first mentioned in the Delhi government’s 2022-23 budget, includes a “start-up village” and an “electronic design village”.
Apart from this, the draft proposal — titled the “Draft Delhi Electronic System Design, Manufacturing and Refurbishment (ESDMR) Policy 2022-2027” – mentions that manufacturing units will be allowed to operate 24×7, subject to a couple of state laws being amended.
The department of industries has uploaded the draft online for public comments. Once the month-long feedback window closes, the comments will be reviewed, after which the proposal will be sent to the minister for the cabinet’s approval.
“The policy will also require the lieutenant governor’s approval before being notified,” said an official.
In its budget last year, the Delhi government announced that it will set up an electronic city to do establish Delhi as the preferred destination for electronics design, manufacturing, repair and refurbishment by creating a robust local ecosystem through favorable policy incentives, offering “plug and play” infrastructure and skilled manpower, and boost employment by creating around 80,000 jobs.
According to the proposal, the electronic design village will serve as a research and design facility, dedicated to electronic products and design. The start-up village, meanwhile, will act as an incubator for entrepreneurs working in electronics design or design-led manufacturing.
“The department of industries, the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology of Delhi, and the Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University will collaborate on the research and design facility,” said an industry department official.
Once work on the Urban Extension Roadway-II is completed, Baprola will be around 20 minutes away from the Delhi airport, an official said. “The start-ups that will be a part of the village will automatically qualify as recognized start-ups under the state government’s start-up policy and will receive all the benefits,” said an official.
HT reached out to the Delhi government for comments, but did not get a response.
“Since it is a labor-intensive industry, the policy also focuses on skill development,” said an official. “Factories and warehouses will be built in advance, high-speed internet connectivity will be provided, and easy transportation access will be ensured for the manufacturers. Apart from this, there will be uninterrupted supply of power and water, among other things needed for smooth functioning of the operating units,” he added.
According to the draft, a Common Facilities Center will be developed where operating units will have access to testing labs, prototyping labs, and warehouses on a pay-per-use basis. The policy stated that it would facilitate time-bound single-window clearance for necessary permits, grant of licenses, water and sewage connections, and fire clearances, among others. “We want the process to be quick because we don’t want the process of obtaining necessary approvals to delay operations. “A system will be created which will acknowledge all applications received, and will forward the applications to the concerned cell within three working days,” said an official.
The committee will include the vice-chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission(DDC) of Delhi; secretary, department of industries; nominated representatives from the environment, power, labor departments and the Delhi Jal Board; and two industry experts nominated by the chairperson. The managing director of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation will be appointed member-secretary, the draft says.
Amrit Manwani, former president of the Electronic Industries Association of India, said, “The development of an electronic city in Delhi has high potential. Companies may be attracted to set up facilities because electronic products can be easily shipped by air. It may attract several manufacturing, design, and refurbishment companies with the Jewar and IGI airports being close by.”