Cochin Special Economic Zone

Cochin Special Economic Zone

Company type	Government owned
Industry	Multi-product industrial park
Genre	Infrastructure service provider
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Kochi , India
Number of locations	160+
Owner	Government of India
Number of employees	15,000+
Website	www.csez.com

The Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) is a multi-product special economic zone located at Kochi, Kerala. It is established in an area of 41.7 hectares (103.0 acres) in Kakkanad.

It is a multi-product zone, with industrial units operating in Electronics Hardware, Engineering, Gem & Jewellery, IT & ITES, Agro & Food Processing, Textile & garments, Plastic & Rubber etc. Currently it has around 160 units operating employing more than 15,000 people.^[1] In FY2011-12, the total exports from the zone stood at ₹ 29,961 crore, recording a 63% rise in exports compared to the previous financial year.^[2]

For the current financial year 2012-13, as on 30 September 2012, the total exports from CSEZ stand at ₹ 16,306 crore, ranking it the third among SEZs in the country.^[3]

CSEZ was originally started as one of the first Export Processing Zone in India, and was later converted into a Special Economic Zone in 2003, when that system was introduced.^[4] It is operated by the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce, under the CSEZ Authority, and headed by a Development Commissioner. It is the first integrated industrial park in Kerala.

The land area of the existing zone in Kochi has been fully utilized for ir.^[5] As part of expansion of CSEZ, a proposal to set up phase II of the Zone in 125 acres of land adjacent to the Info park in Cherthala has been mooted.^[6]