Abstract

The Government of India is developing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) as a global manufacturing and investment destination utilizing the 1,483 km-long, high-capacity western Dedicated Railway Freight Corridor (DFC) as the backbone. The objective is to increase the share of manufacturing in the GDP of the country and to create smart sustainable cities where manufacturing will be the key economic driver. The plan is to develop new manufacturing cities, logistic hubs and residential townships along the DFC incorporating the philosophy of sustainability, connectivity and development; each manufacturing city will have world-class infrastructure, convenient public transport, power management and an efficient water and waste management system. Twenty four manufacturing cities are envisaged in the perspective plan of the DMIC project. In the first phase, seven cities are being developed, one each in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and two in Maharashtra. The manufacturing cities will provide international and domestic investors with a diverse set of vast investment opportunities. The initial phase of the new cities is expected to be completed by 2019. Sectors of focus include general manufacturing; IT/ITES; electronics including high-tech industries; automobiles and auto ancillary; agro and food processing; heavy engineering; metals and metallurgical products; pharmaceuticals and biotech; and services sector.