Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India signed here $375 million in loans and grants to develop 800 km Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor, which is the first phase of a planned 2,500 km long East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC).The project is an important milestone in the process of developing the corridor and realizing the objectives of Make in India.
The corridor is expected to spur development on India’s eastern coast in line with the Government of India’s Make in India policy to stimulate manufacturing, and Act East policy to integrate the Indian economy with Asia’s dynamic global production networks, according to a PIB release.
The signing event followed the ADB approval of $631 million in loans and grants in September 2016 to develop the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor. ADB’s approved loans comprise a $500 million multi-tranche facility to build key infrastructure at the four main centers along the corridor – Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Amaravati, and Yerpedu-Srikalahasti in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The First Tranche of $245 million was signed on February 28, 2017, that will finance sub-projects to develop high-quality internal infrastructure in 2 of the 4 nodes of the corridor–Visakhapatnam and Yerpedu-Srikalahasti. The project is an important milestone in the process of developing the corridor and realizing the objectives of Make in India.