The Centre is likely to announce the National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZs) to help in increasing the share of manufacturing from 15 per cent of the GDP at present to 25 per cent by 2022. The proposed special investment zones is likely to come by the year end. Over the past few years, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has received large number of suggestions on its concept paper for setting up NMIZs, which are being planned as mega industrial zones and subsume SEZs, industrial parks and warehousing units.
Radical steps including freedom to downsize workforce and curtailing the workers’ right to join unions has also been proposed. It also says that state governments should acquire land for the NMIZs, which could be promoted mainly by the private sector. Besides, it has recommended low interest loans for units opting for clean technology or products in the NMIZs. Although the policy is still awaited, the first NMIZ would come up in Rajasthan.
