Tamil Nadu looking at a Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor [Oct 2011]

Tamil Nadu is examining possibilities of developing greenfield road and rail corridors to broad base areas of industrial growth, said the Industries Secretary, N Sundaradevan.
 
The Chennai-Bangalore industrial investment corridor envisaged by the State Government is different from that proposed by the Centre, which is looking at a link that includes corridors along the NH-4, NH-5, NH-7 and NH-46, which will include districts in Andhra Pradesh also.
 
This is what the State Government will strive to do with Japanese investors suggesting the establishment of a bullet-train link between Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Kochi. Another prerequisite for the creating an investment zone is the presence of adequate social infrastructure.
 
C. Jayaram, Director-Projects, Bangalore Airport Rail Link Ltd., said the Chennai-Bangalore corridor as envisaged by the Centre will be extended up to Mumbai and will benefit Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The four States need to work together to emulate the success of the first such concept, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
 
Karnataka has one of the lowest rail densities and was among the first to address this issue by partnering with the Indian Railways in sharing the capital expenditure and contributing land.
 
At the event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry,  S Chandrasekar, Chairman, CII-Karnataka, said addressing energy constraints will be the key to the success of industrial corridors of investment. In some areas, water could be in short supply.
 
The Bangalore portion of the industrial corridor should include Hubli and Belgaum, as the proposed gas pipeline between Dabhol and Bangalore passes through these districts.

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