AP CM's pat to Dayanidhi Maran: his vision is like Rajiv's

Hyderabad, Jun 7 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy today compared Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his vision of taking the benefits of technology to common man in the country.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of SemIndia Fab Private Limited here, Dr Reddy said Mr Maran's vision to make India a major hub for high-tech industry was similar to Mr Rajiv Gandhi's vision to take the country into the 21st Century with technology.

He said Mr Maran can be considered "a father figure" for the semiconductor industry in the country.

He also welcomed Mr Maran's announcement that the Centre would come up with a special package of incentives to promote and sustain the high-tech industry.

Referring to Fab City, Dr Reddy said that the his government would give all possible support to the facility being set up in Hyderabad by SemIndia. Today was a special day for AP government as foundation stone has been laid for Fab City, he added.

SemIndia Chairman Dr Vinod Agarwal said that first phase of Fab City would be completed within 12 months.

He said in the first phase the test and assembly plant would be set up with a cost of Rs 100 million dollars.

Base Oxygen Corporation MD (South-East Asia) Sanjiv Lamba said BOC was likely to invest upto Rs 120 crore for provision of industrial and electronic gases and chemicals for SemIndia's advanced manufacturing business units and facilitate the gases infrastructure needed for other manufacturing units that become part of Fab City.

He said the amount to be invested will be spread over a period of time to support the progressive growth of Fab City.

The Fab City will be a 1200 acre center of excellence, he added.

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