Tata group plans to set up SEZ at Gopalpur

Kolkata, Mar 31 (UNI) To become a truly global player with a much wider business vision, the Tata Group is likely to set up a Special Economic Zone(SEZ) at Gopalpur in Orissa despite the risk of facing local opposition.

Since the 7.2 billon dollar Tata Group no longer desired to be known only as India's largest steel, auto and IT conglomerate and wanted to spread its wings to several other fields in tune with the Group's high value business propositions, considerations were being made to venture into the SEZ business soon, said Executive Director of Tata Sons Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Group, R Gopalakrishnan here today.

Participating in an interactive session with selected Media representatives, Mr Gopalakrishna highlighting the century old high value business ethos of the Group, said in keeping with the present trend of the national economy Tata Group was also planning to make deeper forays into several other fields including discovery of new drugs, their research and development, telecom, satellite TV through DTX technology, Retail and even into Credit card businesses besides the SEZ.

Among these considerable success had alrearedy been achieved in the Telecom sector where Tata Indicom had already made its presence felt throughout the country to be India's one of the largest telecom operators.

Refusing to shed any further light on the prospect of Tata Group's venturing into the proposed SEZ at Gopalpur because of the ongoing nationwide controvery on the issue, Mr Gopalkrishnan said the lan was still at the nascent stage.

Asked whether Tata Group is was also planning to enter into the aviation sector since its immediate past president JRD Tata and the present incumbent Ratan Tata were both avid flyers, Mr Gopalakrishnana replied in the negative. " I am not aware of any such development,he said.

When his attention was drawn to the Singur issue which had drawn the Tata Motors, another subsidiary of the Tata Group, into a nationwide controversy for its plan to set up a small car unit there, the Tata Sons ED said on the contrary it was the long established ethics of the Group to get fully engaged with the locals and the society in the area as well where the business was located.

Accordingly,there was no question of antagonising the people at Singur since it would not ont ouplift the local economy but would also generate many employment in the area.

UNI