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Upgrading the existing two-lane road infrastructure to four-lane between the two industrial hubs – Naidupeta, in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and Mulbagal, in the Kollar district of Karnataka, covering a distance of around 218 km, will enable smoother flow of cargo.
Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a leading industrial and manufacturing hub in southern India with several proposed industries in the pipeline, besides becoming infrastructure-ready to tackle the growth momentum in the coming years.
The state government has taken several initiatives. One such initiative is to develop 200 road projects across the state, majorly around the four major port regions of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Krishnapatnam and linking the towns to the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC).
Taking cognizance of the fact that a port\’s competitiveness is influenced by the process of development of trade corridors, the state has plans to integrate the port system in a multimodal transportation network so in order to improve market access and the integration of the industrial network. The 200 roads will connect Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Nuziveedu, Vijayawada, Bhimavaram, Machilipatnam, Guntur, Ongole, Bapatla, Nellore, Gudur and Naidupeta. Premium infrastructure and high-speed connectivity will offer immense opportunities for businesses and sectors that are likely to get a boost including steel, cement, food processing, IT, automobile, readymade garments, petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals complex.
Along with VCIC, another trade corridor Bengaluru-Chennai Industrial Corridor (BCIC), which would pass through Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, and Kolar, Mulbagal and Hoskote in Karnataka before reaching Bengaluru, would connect industrial clusters of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The CBIC alignment incorporates Naidupeta-Tirupati-Pileru-Madanapally-Kolar-Bengaluru Corridor. This area being within the hinterland of Krishnapatnam, would facilitate the decongestion of the corridor through Krishnapatnam Port and has tremendous impact to drive business growth in the southern part of the state. Industrial clusters in automobile, engineering and food processing sectors along the CBIC could spur the economic growth of backward regions Kolar and Mulbagal.
Connecting Naidupeta and Mulbagal
Connecting the two major industrial zones/clusters Naidupeta near Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh and Mulbagal town in Kolar district of Karnataka, which is 17 km away from the Andhra Pradesh border and considered the eastern gate of Karnataka will prove beneficial for the trade and industry. While at one hand, Naidupeta that falls under both VCIC and CBIC is emerging as a major manufacturing and industrial hub, at the same time Mulbagal is also emerging as a key hub in the state of Karnataka.
Naidupeta houses several industries including Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Ltd (HNG), Greentech Industries, Prime Electric Limited, Loyal Textiles, DRA Industries, Viki industries, Manjeera Minerals (Packaged Drinking Water), BJ Textiles, Swarnamukhi Minerals, among others. Even the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (India) has urged the State government to allot 6,000 to 10,000 acres for establishing two industrial estates between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada and at Naidupeta near Nellore exclusively for pharmaceutical units. HNG\’s Naidupeta Rs.800-crore greenfield project will have a capacity of 650 tonnes a day. The container glass facility obtains raw material from Gudur mines in Andhra Pradesh.
While Mulbagal, which is part of the area known as the “golden land” of India, ranks number one in productivity and yield of horticultural crops besides being famous as the land of silk and milk. The area is also industrially active with over 8,500 registered units and large scale units such as BEML, South India Sponge Iron Private Limited, etc. Also, the development of the corridor would result in the cargo origination from Bengaluru and will find it easy to reach Krishnapatnam Port, without much hassle and congestion. Also, the Karnataka government has acquired 1,200 acres in Mulbagal to promote granite industries hub, general engineering parks at Kolar and Hoskote.
Krishnapatnam Port playing a key role
Krishnapatnam Port, since its modest beginning in the year 2008, has grown to be one of the biggest non-major ports of India, has requested the development/upgradation of the road connectivity between Naidupeta and Mulbagal through the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways from the existing two-lane to four-lane on priority.
During the meeting held on December 5, 2015, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu with the Union Minister for shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, the development and upgradation of the road connectivity between the port and Mulbagal was discussed and it was agreed upon that this project has to be taken with NHAI and government of India on priority.
Developing of the connectivity into a four-lane National Highway with a future provision for 6-laning would pave the way for the industrial and economic growth of the state, especially the backward districts of Chittoor and Kadapa. Chittoor district covering Tirupati zone has vast area under industrialisation with over 16,500 registered industrial units, with agro, engineering and textile based units forming a major part.
The state government has taken a lead in heralding the development of key hinterland linkage through Sagarmala Scheme of the Union government. One of the key corridors is the road connecting Krishnapatnam Port to Mulbagal in Karnataka and traversing via Naidupeta, Tirupathi and Chittoor.
“Lot of containers move on this road so unless it is four-laned it will be difficult for the truck movement,” a senior port official said.
Krishnapatnam Port has submitted a vision and perspective plan detailing various connectivity projects and related developments to be included as a part of the overall Perspective Plan of GoAP under the Sagarmala Scheme. These connectivity projects relating to Krishnapatnam Port have already been included in National Perspective Plan of GoI. The three road projects as port connectivities to Krishnapatnam Port will help in development of Coastal Economic Region of SPSR Nellore District.
Industrial corridors
An industrial corridor developed through PPP will act as an intermediary to develop infrastructure projects, which in turn attract industries. This will exponentially raise exports, which underscores the growing economic scenario of the region, all in a given period of 10 years or so.
The industrial corridors will result in world-class tolled road, high-speed rail link, along with drive industrial clusters. Besides, self-sustaining industrial townships with world-class infrastructure, road and rail connectivity for freight movement to and from ports and logistics hubs, domestic/international air connectivity, reliable power and quality social infrastructure have to be created to provide a globally competitive environment conducive for setting up businesses and superior compared to the existing hubs.
The Union government has cleared three industrial corridors; Visakhapatnam – Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), Chennai – Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC), and Kurnool – Bengaluru Industrial corridor (KBIC). In the wake of this development the state government has planned to develop seven nodal corridors connecting these three national majors – Orvakal in Kurnool, Krishnapatnam in Nellore, Hindupur in Anantapur, Srikalahasti – Yerpedu in Chittoor, Gannavaram – Kankipadu in Krishna, Kakinada, and Visakhapatnam nodes will be developed by the state as the nodal corridors. VCIC could potentially transform the industrial landscape of Seemandhra in less than a decade of its commissioning. In a bid to develop industries, APIIC has notified 16 industrial projects, with cluster-based approach. These projects include electronic manufacturing cluster at Gurrampalem in Visakhapatnam; integrated industrial manufacturing cluster in Visakhapatnam; integrated IT township in Kapuluppada, Visakhapatnam; integrated industrial manufacturing cluster in Nakkapalli, Visakhapatnam; mega food park in Krishna; industrial park in Nandigama, Krishna; PPP for regional development enterprise in Donakonda, Prakasam; national investment & manufacturing zone in Pamuru, Prakasam; ultra mega food processing park in Kurnool; mega industries hub in Orvakallu, Kurnool; industrial cluster in Palasamudram, Anantapur; model industrial park in Naidupet, Nellore; national investment and manufacturing zone in Chittoor; ceramic cluster in Chittoor; electronic manufacturing cluster in Tirupati, Chittoor; industrial corridor in Yerpedu, Chittoor and industrial corridor in Srikalahasti, Chittoor.
All this is expected to boost trade and commerce between south India and East Asia by enabling quicker movement of goods.
Industries at Naidupeta: Hindusthan National Glass & Industries Ltd (HNG), Greentech Industries, Prime Electric Limited, Loyal Textiles, DRA Industries, Viki industries, Manjeera Minerals (Packaged Drinking Water), BJ Textiles, Swarnamukhi Minerals, etc. Located in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Naidupeta is around 50km away from Chennai Boarder. It is connected with National Highway 5 and south central railways. This apart, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) will develop the proposed SEZ project in 1,032.27 hectare at Naidupet in Nellore, providing jobs to 40,000 people and around 20 industrial units.
Industries at Mulbagal: The Centre\’s plan to set up a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone in Mulbagal is likely to boost economic activities in the region. The industries at Mulbagal include Sri Venkateshwara Industries, MNR Plastic Industries, along with several food industries.
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