Macroeconomic Export Hubs: Oulgaret Municipality Deploys ₹725 Crore IT/ITES Grid as PIPDIC Allocates ₹1,250 Crore to Karasur Site
In a historic executive alignment re-architecting the industrial density and service export portfolios of the Coromandel coastline, the **Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has officially notified two brand-new Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the Union Territory of Puducherry**. Cleared during the Board of Approval's 137th apex sitting, the dual projects bring a massive **₹1,975 crore combined capital deployment to the Tamil Nadu-Andaman and Puducherry (TAP) economic region**, opening high-velocity job channels.
The Oulgaret Municipal Breakthrough and the PIPDIC Multi-Sector Layout
The newly notified enclaves represent a major shift in trade policy, introducing decentralization into export-led zone planning:
- India’s First Municipality-Developed SEZ: Setting a revolutionary structural precedent, an **IT/ITES SEZ covering 8.62 hectares will be indigenously developed by the Oulgaret Municipality at Thattanchavady village**. Backed by a **₹725 crore capital layout**, this marks the absolute **first instance in Indian economic history where an Urban Local Body (ULB) acts as a direct SEZ developer**, opening up 3,500 direct technology tech jobs.
- The PIPDIC Karasur Multi-Sector Grid: To scale up advanced manufacturing portfolios, the **Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC) will establish a massive Multi-Sector SEZ at Karasur village (Villianur Taluk)**. Spanning a vast footprint of **86.24 hectares with an intensive investment of ₹1,250 crore**, the hardware cluster is task-mandated to host export-oriented automotive, clean-tech, and electronic components foundries, generating over 5,000 direct industrial jobs.
- Sovereign SEZ 2.0 Integration: The parallel zones incorporate recent federal regulatory updates, utilizing a streamlined **single-window clearance portal for central and state approvals** and integrating the *Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)* scheme to eliminate embedded domestic taxes on outbound commercial shipments.