Adityapur is going to shine on the country’s map and is likely to be unofficially crowned with the tag of automobile hub in Eastern India as the department of Industries conveyed its resolve to transform the industrial area in Jamshedpur into a major centre for auto and ancillary units in the eastern part of the land.
A new draft for the automobile sector — ‘Jharkhand Automobile and Auto-Component Policy-2015’ — is on cards which would encourage the transformation through policies and strategies that would bring all the stakeholders on board the mission. The department of Industry would be conducting a conference at Adityapur to discuss the way forward as it has invited suggestions, recommendations on the draft policy. The policy would be in effect for five years from the date of notification.
“Adityapur has all the potential and eco-system to become automobile and auto-component hub in Eastern India. We want to harvest that potential for the benefit of the State. We have invited suggestions and recommendations from all the stake holders. After that we will hold discussions in Adityapur area of Jamshedpur on January 9. It will take one month to notify the draft,” said Director Industry, K Ravi Kumar.
The draft policy envisages reaping the conditions at the industrial area in Jamshedpur as it sits comfortably with more than 600 auto ancillary industries including auto components units that have been set up at Jamshedpur and Adityapur to cater to the needs of automobiles companies. The policy also draws confidence from employment figures generated which stand at more than 20-25 thousand direct employment and several times of it as indirect employment because of the advent Tatas in the Steel City. The history of development pushed the industrial area first among others for transformation.
“It cannot be that several centers are set at several locations in the State. Auto manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers want to live in isolation. So many auto ancillary units are in Adityapur that it can be developed into a hub,” pointed out Kumar.
The draft says, “Keeping this massive potential in view, the State Government lays lot of focus on building necessary infrastructures for such industries. With the assistance of Government of India, an Auto-Cluster in Jamshedpur is being built with the objective to extend common facilities such as testing center, design lab, effluent treatment plant, etc. to auto component makers. An Automobile Vendor Park, under PPP or Private Mode with benefits of an industrial park to be doled out by the State Government, is envisaged”.
The draft policy speaks of making Jharkhand as most preferred destination for automobile and auto-component manufacturing units in Eastern India; creating additional employment opportunities for 50,000 personnel in this sector by 2020; attracting mega automobile projects in the state and promote the establishment of new; auto-cluster and strengthening of existing auto cluster in the state; encouraging establishment of Tier-1, Tier-2 and Tier-3 auto-component manufacturers in the state among others.