GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY OF INTELLIGENT SEZ IN PULIVENDULA, YSR KADAPA

• A New Chapter in India – Taiwan Relations: Hon’ble CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

• India is a favorable destination for Taiwanese businesses – Mr Ben Wang, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre

• Facility will provide employment to 2000, of which majority will be women

PULIVENDULA, 24-12-2020

• Hon’ble Chief Minister, Sri YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has laid foundation stone for Intelligent SEZ Development Limited (BESTEK Footwear India Pvt. Ltd.) at Industrial Development Park, Pulivendula, YSR Kadapa.

• Mr Ben Wang, Director General Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre, Chennai is the special invitee at the event. Mr. Wang mentioned that India is still a favorable destination for Taiwan businessmen despite the violence at Wistron in the state of Karnataka a couple days ago. Mr. Wang praised the expansion of Apache Footwear as a timely message reassuring the continued growth of the Taiwan-India economic relations. He has stated that India is a favorable destination for Taiwanese businesses.

• On the sidelines of the event, a high level meeting was organized between Hon’ble CM and Direct General Taiwan. In the meeting, opportunities for collaboration in various sectors such as semi-conductors, electric vehicles and petro-chemicals was discussed. Hon’ble CM has mentioned that Taiwan is a preferred partner for the state of Andhra Pradesh in journey towards industrialization. Mr. Wang invited Hon’ble CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to visit Taiwan next year. The former said the trip would help promote familiarity and friendship between two sides and will help welcome and encourage more investments from Taiwan. Hon’ble CM has responded positively to the invitation and has mentioned that he would visit Taiwan at the earliest possible time.

• Incidentally, this is the second high level meeting in less than 2 months between the AP CM and the Taiwan DG. Officials informed that, with strong natural competitive advantages, AP is gateway to India for Taiwaese companies looking to diversify from China. The bonhomie between AP CM and DG Taiwan is precursor to a strong economic partnership in the coming days.

• Hon’ble Chief Minister has congratulated the management of Intelligent SEZ on this occasion, for their successful journey in AP which started in 2006 with the support from his father, Late Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy. Hon’ble CM has promised to extend full cooperation and support from the government to realize the projects of the company. Hon’ble CM has informed that the Apache project creates employment to local youth and majority of the employees will be women, this project is a further step towards empowering women through employment. Hon’ble CM has emphasized that the state is welcoming investors by provisioning infrastructural facilities (power, water, and land), skilled manpower, and corruption free & transparent governance.

• Hon’ble CM has said that the state has ranked no. 1 in the country in State Business Reform Action Plan Ranking released by Government of India and World Bank. The ranking, released in September 2020, was based on perception survey across all the reform areas, and reflects the positive business environment in the state.

• Johnson Chang, Vice President of the Apache Footwear pointed out that India is a lucrative market for them to invest in and Andhra Pradesh has been proved to be a beacon of stability for foreign businesses. He has commended Andhra Pradesh government’s industrial development policies and commended the investment facilitation offered by the government.

• Intelligent SEZ Development Ltd is establishing a footwear manufacturing facility with a total investment of INR 70 Cr and with a potential to create employment for 2000 people with a capacity of 2.4 million pairs per annum. This would be in addition to the proposed INR 700 crore facility in Inagaluru village, Sri Kaalahasti Mandal, Chittoor dist. which will employ about 10,000 with a production capacity of 24 million pairs per annum.

• Sri SB Amjad Basha, Deputy Chief Minister, Sri Aadimulapu Suresh, Minister for Education, Sri YS Avinash Reddy, MP, Smt RK Roja, Chairperson APIIC are among the dignitaries participated in the occasion

• Sri Karikal Valaven, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to Government & CIP, Sri K Raveen Reddy, IRTS, VC&MD, APIIC Sri Subramanyam Javvadi, IAS, Director Industries & CEO APEDB, C Harikiran, IAS, District collector, Kadapa, have also participated in the event

About Intelligent

• Intelligent is an exclusive supplier to global footwear brand Adidas. Intelligent has its presence in various locations along with its associate partner Apache Investment Holding Pvt Ltd in India, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. As of today, the total investment of Intelligent group around the world is about USD250 million with employment of 25,000 with more than 60% being women. The products include sport shoes footwear, slides, sandals for Adidas.

• Intelligent SEZ Development Ltd is an associate company of Apache Footwear India Pvt Ltd. Apache has set-up the Apache SEZ Industrial Park in Mambattu, Tada way back in 2006. Incidentally, the then Chief Minister, Late Sri YS Rajasekhar Reddy garu has played a key role in its establishment. With an investment of USD 150 mn the facility has now grown to employ 11,000 people directly and is successfully running with an annual production of 18 million pairs.

• Apache group is a global company with its operational headquarters in Taichung, Taiwan, and has three production bases dedicated to produce Adidas shoes in three countries, respectively located in Guangdong (China), Andhra Pradesh (India), and Tien Giang (Vietnam). The group has an annual capacity of 50 million pairs of footwear with 25,000 workforces.

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