Aleap plans two more industrial estates for lady entrepreneurs

Following a good response to its second industrial estate for lady entrepreneurs near Vijayawada, the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh (Aleap) is now gearing up to launch two more such estates in Visakhapatnam district and Rayalaseema.

Aleap has also embarked upon a project to expand its first lady entrepreneurs estate at Gajularamaram in Ranga Reddy district near here.

Disclosing this to Business Standard, Aleap president Kanneganti Ramadevi said that Aleap had already allocated 50 per cent of the 29-acre industrial estate to entrepreneurs, was in the process of allocating the remaining space.

Each plot consists of 620 yards and a yard is priced at Rs 450. The park located at Surampalli near Vijayawada could accommodate around 100 units. It would be formally launched in the next couple of months, she said.

Ramadevi said that Aleap had already arranged collateral-free loans for 10 units from banks. Besides loans from banks, Aleap also helps its members make use of various government schemes and incentives. The units that have already obtained the loans operate in the areas of food processing like cocoa powder, tomato powder, ghee-making, and home care products, readymade garments etc, she said.

Noting that there was an immense potential for food processing units at the Vijayawada estate, she said that Aleap had sought the approval of the Union ministry of food processing for setting up a testing laboratory for granting accreditation.

The lab expected to cost around Rs 70 lakh was likely to be granted during this year itself, she said. The food testing laboratory would be first-of-its-kind in Krishna district and the adjoining district as well and would address the long-felt needs of the units in the food processing industry, she said.

The Aleap president said that the association had so far procured private land for the two industrial estates and developed it into industrial estates without relying on any government assistance.

The around 40 per cent grant of the project outlay accorded by the central government under the Industrial Estates Development had been used to create common infrastructure facilities, an incubator and a training institute. Apart from the land charges, the association does not collect any fee from the member-units for maintenance at both the parks, she said.

On the plans for expansion at the Hyderabad industrial estate, Ramadevi said that 60 units were operating in the 30-acre estate. The units were allotted land at the rate of Rs 350 per yard.

In view of the demand for more space from the existing units and new entrepreneurs, the society that runs the estate had decided to procure around 60 acres. The government had been approached for some land allotment near the estate and a positive response was expected soon, she said.

With the government land under possession, the rates could be kept affordable for women entrepreneurs as the land rates in the area had been spiralling, she said.

Stating that presenting collateral had been a tough task for lady entrepreneurs, she said Aleap was entering into a tripartite agreement with banks and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Small Industries (CGTSI) to provide working capital and term loans with collateral to prospective entrepreneurs under the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme of CGTSI.

Aleap has formed a separate body the Mutual Credit Guarantee Fund Association of Aleap (AMCGF) to sign pacts with individual banks. AMCGF would sign such a pact with Andhra Bank on July 9.

The managing committee of AMCGF, comprising Aleap members, bankers and CGTSI representatives, would provide guarantee for collateral-free loans up to Rs 25 lakh to small industrial units run by women entrepreneurs. A similar agreement is also to be signed with State Bank of India shortly.

On the plans for the two new estates, Ramadevi said that while Visakhapatnam had been identified for one park, the other would come up either in Tirupati or Kadapa. Once the government approval is obtained, Aleap would commence the works during this year itself, she said.

Ramadevi said that Aleap was also chalking out plans to create a brand image for itself. It would also foray into setting up mini-trade centres for exclusively marketing the products of Aleap members. Facilitation of online auctioning of Alea products is also on the cards.

Sources : Business Standard.com