Cabinet okays 12 new 'industrial smart cities' with outlay of ₹28,602 cr

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved 12 industrial smart cities in different states under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP), Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says in a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting.

The Centre okayed 12 projects worth ₹28,602 crore under the NICDP programme. These greenfield industrial smart cities will be built ahead of demand with ‘plug-n-play' and 'walk-to-work' concepts.

This move is aimed to "transform" the industrial landscape by creating a strong network of industrial nodes and cities. The projects will span across 10 states and 6 major corridors including Khurpia in Uttrakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in, Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerela, Agra and Prayagraj in UP, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in AP and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan.

The NICDP facilitates investments from both large anchor industries and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "These industrial nodes will act as catalysts for achieving $2 trillion in exports by 2030, reflecting the government's vision of a self-reliant and globally competitive India," a statement says.

The new industrial cities will be developed as "greenfield smart cities" of global standards, says the Centre. The "ahead of demand" approach with the 'plug-n-play' and 'walk-to-work' concepts will enable cities to equip themselves with advanced infrastructure. These projects will align with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, and feature multi-modal connectivity infrastructure to enable seamless movement of people, goods, and services, it says.

NICDP is expected to generate an estimated 1 million direct and up to 3 million indirect jobs. Apart from new projects announced today, the NICDP has already seen the completion of four projects, with another four more under implementation.

The cabinet, meanwhile, has also approved two new lines and one multi-tracking project worth ₹6,456 crore for the Indian Railways. This will provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, minimise logistics costs, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions. These three projects covering 7 districts across Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh will increase the existing railway network by about 300 km.

The Cabinet also approved the progressive expansion in the Central Sector Scheme of financing facilities under the ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’. It will strengthen the agricultural infrastructure and support the farming community.

Besides, the Cabinet also approved the proposal to conduct the 3rd batch of ascending e-auctions for 730 channels in 234 new cities for ₹784.87 crore under the Private FM Radio Phase Ill Policy. The proposal to charge an annual license fee (ALF) of the FM channel as 4% of gross revenue excluding goods and services tax (GST) was also approved. This will be applicable to 234 new cities or towns.

Approval was also given for the central financial assistance towards equity participation by the states of the North Eastern Region for the development of hydroelectric projects. This scheme has an outlay of ₹4,136 crore from FY 2024-25 to FY 2031-32. A cumulative hydro capacity of about 15,000 MW would be supported under the scheme.