Country's first animation SEZ to be operational by Aug-Sep

Kochi, Jun 18 (UNI) India's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on animation and gaming will become operational by August-September in the KINFRA-run Film and Video Park near Thiruvananthapuram.

Talking to UNI, Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) managing director A S Suresh Babu said that 100,000 sq. ft. of built-up space, constructed at a cost of Rs 16 crore, will be ready by August-September in the SEZ, located in the 75-acre Film and Video Park at Kazhakuttam near Thiruvananthapuram.

The Centre had earlier this month ratified the KINFRA proposal to set up a 100 per cent export-oriented SEZ on 25 acres within the Film and Video Park to tap the multi-billion-dollar global market for animation and gaming software.

Apart from readymade modules, available in multiples of 5,000 sq.

ft, independent plots will also be available for companies looking to set up bigger facilities in the SEZ.

In fact, talks were at an advanced stage with a major group, which was looking for sizeable space to set up its facility in the SEZ, Mr Babu said.

The state-of-the-art film processing and post-production laboratories already functional in the Film and Video Park will also be available for the use of the SEZ units, he said.

Kerala, with a large pool of skilled manpower in Information Technology and the fine arts, was ideally suited to make a big impact on the animation industry, which is estimated to have earned nearly 300 million dollars in 2004.

Citing a report by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), Mr Babu said the Indian animation market is expected to grow at an average rate of 35 per cent from 2005-2009 and touch 950 million US Dollars by 2009.

It also estimates that there could be a demand for nearly 300,000 professionals in the animation field by 2008.

The industry, in fact, is already facing a manpower crunch and to provide enough trained professionals, KINFRA has also proposed to the union commerce ministry to set up an international animation school in the SEZ, Mr Babu said.

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