India’s SEZ Journey: From 1965 Law To High-Tech Growth Hubs скачать в хорошем качестве

India’s SEZ Journey: From 1965 Law To High-Tech Growth Hubs

Discover how the Special Economic Zones Act transformed India’s economy, from Kandla Free Trade Zone to a network of 276 modern SEZs driving exports, investment, and tech growth. India’s journey with Special Economic Zones began in 1965 with a bold idea: create areas with relaxed trade laws and incentives to attract investment and boost exports. The first such zone, Kandla Free Trade Zone in Gujarat, aimed to fill the void left by Karachi port after Partition and became Asia’s first free trade hub. These zones offered tax concessions, liberalised trade rules, and customs advantages — all designed to fast-track industrialisation and infrastructure development. Yet the early SEZ model faced challenges. Cumbersome procedures and bureaucratic red tape slowed progress. Between 1978 and 1984, committees sought to streamline the system, but it took four decades for a modern framework to emerge. The 2005 SEZ Act introduced single-window clearances, fiscal incentives, and quality infrastructure, making SEZs attractive to investors while boosting exports and creating jobs. Today, SEZs have evolved into technology and high-value growth hubs, with over 276 zones specialising in sectors like IT, semiconductors, and electronics. Modern policies allow some products to be sold domestically, moving beyond the old export-only focus. From a pathbreaking 1965 law to today’s high-tech centres, SEZs illustrate India’s long-term vision of transforming targeted regions into engines of economic growth.