By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 22, 2019: The Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Odisha has been flooded with a flurry of investment proposals.

The EMC is assured of at least 10 confirmed investments worth Rs 500 crore that will start running from March 2019. The cluster has drawn investors in mobile handset manufacturing, solar modules, printed circuit boards, electric vehicles and IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

“We have received a rush of investments from committed players. We focused on building a global supply chain, international flight connectivity, ramping up skilled manpower and incentives for the investors. With these strengths, our EMC has surged ahead of similar clusters in other states”, said a senior government official.

As many as 20 EMCs are being developed across 13 states under a scheme of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

Recently, the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) in Odisha given its nod to two proposals in the ESDM (electronic system design and manufacturing) sector. StarGSM Upakaran Peripherals, a Jaipur-based cellular handset and accessories company has committed to invest Rs 75 crore to set up a unit to manufacture 10 lakh pieces per annum of mobile handsets and accessories such as printed circuit boards, battery, charger and power banks. It will generate job opportunities for 1300 persons.

Similarly, Hyderabad based Software Company C-TEL Infosystems will set up a software centre to develop Internet of Things (IoT) software at the EMC which is coming up at Infovalley. The unit will come up at an investment of Rs 65 crore and will create direct and indirect job opportunities for 730 people.

The state government is also expecting three to four investors in solar modules in the next three to four months, each with investments in the range of Rs 30-50 crore.

The EMC has come up on 203 acres of land at a cost of Rs 205 crore,