Manesar having an edge over other areas!!

Manesar's inclusion in the integrated plan is good news for the entire district. Home to global industrial units, and now part of the Millennium City, it is all set to give competition to Noida.

Gurgaon: Manesar is no longer just a weekend getaway tucked away in the Aravallis. Home to global industrial units, and now an integrated part of the millennium city, it's a mega-city in the making. And if the government's claims are anything to go by, it may even take on Greater Noida very soon.

Managed by Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC), and spread over 5,000 acres, the reasons for Manesar's popularity are not hard to guess. Located on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, it is extremely well connected to both Delhi and Gurgaon. It is just 32 km from the international airport, 8 km from Gurgaon, and 45 km from Connaught Place. This has made it a great favourite with investors from Japan, France and UK who have set up about 450 industrial units here. Now, a residential area spread over 900 acres is coming up here for the employees of MNCs and HSIDC. Under the integrated master plan, the residential sectors in Manesar have been increased from one to four to allow the staff to stay around the industrial units and be able to simply walk to office.

Competing with Noida

With the commercial and residential hub in Gurgaon town and the industrial base in Manesar, the entire district is expected to gain an upper hand over Noida. Said D S Dhillon, chief administrator of HUDA, ``Manesar has expanded very fast. Investments from all over the world are pouring in. This needs to be encashed. Moreover, in order to curb illegal developments which had started mushrooming, Manesar had to be included in the integrated plan. This has benefited both Gurgaon and Manesar. Manesar is located on the intersection of NH-8 and Kundli-Palwal-Manesar expressway. This will show it in a better light than even Noida.''

The development of Manesar will not only aid Gurgaon but also Delhi. Said the deputy general manager of HSIDC, Rajesh Sharma, ``Almost all industries of the Capital have their units in Manesar. The trend witnessed a growth after the sealing drive in Delhi. We give incentives to companies with an investment of more than Rs 30 crore. Residents of Delhi who work in Manesar will now be able to live in Manesar due to the new residential sectors.''

Better connectivity

Said Rajeev Arora, MD, HSIDC, “we are developing wide roads. The area of the open space has been increased. There is a 12-km long green belt traversing Manesar-Gurgaon boundary. HSIDC has a dedicated power station of 220 KV and four substations of 66 KV to cater to the needs of both the industrial and residential areas. Apart from the vast industrial base, institutionally also, Manesar is being developed. We have a resort, Heritage Village, the NSG base and the National Brain Research Centre here which attract both MNCs and the general public.''

Favourite of MNCs, developers

MNCs and Indian corporate houses that are operational in Manesar include Honda Motorcycle & Scooters India, Denso Haryana, Mitsubishi Electricals, Maruti Suzuki Metal from Japan, Frigo Glass India from Norway, Baxter India from USA, Johnson Matthey India from UK, Jamna NHK Napino Auto, Bundy India, Munjal Showa, Hero Motors Ltd, Samsung Telecommunications.

For developers also, Manesar has become a hot destination. DLF is planning to come up with a SEZ around Manesar belt. Said a spokesperson of DLF, ``Manesar, with its excellent connectivity, an established industrial base and a better law and order situation will act as a catalyst in making Gurgaon more alluring. The government will benefit by tapping all the investments pouring globally into Manesar.''

Earlier, Manesar was supposed to be developed as a joint effort of the government of Haryana, Government of India and a Japanese firm, but was finally acquired by the HSIDC in 1997 to be developed exclusively as an industrial base. Manesar has been divided into four phases. HSIDC developed 1,750 acres of land in phase I, while development of phase-II and phase-IV are in progress. HSIDC has allotted around 600 acres in phase-III to Maruti Udyog Limited for their expansion project.

Leisure activities

Other features in Manesar include an auctioned plot for service apartment and budget hotel. A technology park spread over 140 acres is being developed in Sector-8. Here, campus sites of 10 acres each have already been allotted to 12 companies. HSIDC is also developing a golf course for entrepreneurs, while a club is already in operation. HSIDC has plans to develop three- to five-star hotels and a 100-bed hospital too.

FAST FACTS

Area: 5000 acres
Distance: 8 km from Gurgaon, 45 Km from Connaught Place
Connectivity: Located on the intersection of NH-8 and KMP (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal) Expressway (under construction)
Plots carved out in Manesar: 2647