Land meant for MSME park near Vizag reallocated to Rs 1,600-crore solar cell unit

Land near Visakhapatnam that was originally proposed for an MSME park has instead been allotted to a solar cell manufacturing unit, after the government changed its decision to allocate the site to a plotted factory complex. Officials have now been instructed to identify suitable alternative land for the MSME park in the surroundings of Parawada.

The 34 acres in question, within the Parawada Industrial Park, will now host a 3.5-gigawatt capacity solar cell manufacturing unit being set up by Greenteck Private Limited, with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore. The unit is expected to provide direct employment to around 1,000 people.

Parawada Industrial Park is India’s first industrial township, set up across 2,400 acres as a Special Economic Zone, and is primarily a hub for bulk drug, API and chemical manufacturing. In recent years, several green energy plants have started construction in the Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.

The solar cell manufacturing unit is expected to boost green energy development in the region as the industrial park’s focus expands beyond its traditional chemical and pharmaceutical base.