SEEPZ
Encyclopedia
Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) is a Special Economic Zone
in Mumbai
, India
. Situated in the Andheri East area, it is subjected to liberal economic laws as compared to the rest of India to promote rapid economic growth using tax and business incentives and attract foreign investment and technology. Seepz was created in 1973 and was seen as export processing zone. Since then many other SEZ’s have been created in rest of India. SEEPZ mainly houses Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Companies, Software Companies
and jewellery
exporters of India. More than 40 percent of India’s total jewelry exports ($2,222.31 million) out of $5,210.69 million during year 2006-2007 came from units within SEEPZ. Despite its name, it is not located near the suburb of Santacruz, rather it is located closer to Andheri that lies further north.
More than 150 units operate in SEEPZ. Prominent companies that have offices within Seepz include: Navteq, Renaissance Jewellery Ltd, Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Vaibhav Gems Ltd, D’damas for Jewelry. IT Companies include Blue Star Infotech
Ltd, Praxis Interactive Services Ltd, CGI Group Inc., Thirdware
, iGATEPatni Computer Systems, Tata Consultancy Services
, Geodesic Limited, Trigyn Technologies Limited, Syntel Limited
etc., buildings in SEEPZ are called Standard Design Factories (SDF).
The SEZ is a high security entry zone. Employees of various companies need to have permanent SEEPZ gate pass to gain entry. Visitors need special permits to enter. Due to these hassles government proposed making SEEPZ a Free Trade Zone
(FTZ) in 1999. However, gate pass and visitor pass rules continue till date. Making SEEPZ a FTZ meant that it would be treated as outside the customs zone of India. This meant no excise or customs duty will be levied on raw material but companies would also not be able to sell their products in domestic market. There are also Hotels like Indian Coffee House which is quite popular.
s worth and gold
worth were smuggled out and sold in local market. After the 28 July 2003 Mumbai Bus Bombing
major stockpile of explosives was also found near SEEPZ. Women employees working in SEEPZ during the night shifts are entitled transport facility between home and office from their employers.
church, St. John the Baptist Church, Mumbai built in 1579. The church also laid in ruins for years and access to it restricted since the SEEPZ was formed. After much political controversy, it was handed back to Fr Rodney Esperance of Bombay Archdiocese
in 2003 in ceremony organized by Maharashtra
Chief Minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde. A lake and several canteens are located inside the SEEPZ premises.
Special Economic Zone
A Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Situated in the Andheri East area, it is subjected to liberal economic laws as compared to the rest of India to promote rapid economic growth using tax and business incentives and attract foreign investment and technology. Seepz was created in 1973 and was seen as export processing zone. Since then many other SEZ’s have been created in rest of India. SEEPZ mainly houses Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Companies, Software Companies
Software industry
The software industry includes businesses involved in the development, maintenance and publication of computer software using any business model...
and jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
exporters of India. More than 40 percent of India’s total jewelry exports ($2,222.31 million) out of $5,210.69 million during year 2006-2007 came from units within SEEPZ. Despite its name, it is not located near the suburb of Santacruz, rather it is located closer to Andheri that lies further north.
Profile
Blue Star Infotech
Blue Star Infotech is based in Mumbai, Bangalore in India and one of the global provider of Product Development services, Enterprise solutions and services, Travel Technology solutions and Testing services. With operations in North America, Europe, UK, Japan and India...
Ltd, Praxis Interactive Services Ltd, CGI Group Inc., Thirdware
Thirdware
Thirdware Solution is a multinational Information Technology Services Company headquartered in Mumbai, India and Novi , USA.Thirdware is focused on Solutions and Services in the Enterprise Application Space in the Transaction, Analytics and Collaborative Solution Layers...
, iGATEPatni Computer Systems, Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
, Geodesic Limited, Trigyn Technologies Limited, Syntel Limited
Syntel
Syntel, Inc. is a global provider of Information Technology and Knowledge Process Outsourcing solutions, with global development centers in India and the United States....
etc., buildings in SEEPZ are called Standard Design Factories (SDF).
The SEZ is a high security entry zone. Employees of various companies need to have permanent SEEPZ gate pass to gain entry. Visitors need special permits to enter. Due to these hassles government proposed making SEEPZ a Free Trade Zone
Free trade zone
A free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
(FTZ) in 1999. However, gate pass and visitor pass rules continue till date. Making SEEPZ a FTZ meant that it would be treated as outside the customs zone of India. This meant no excise or customs duty will be levied on raw material but companies would also not be able to sell their products in domestic market. There are also Hotels like Indian Coffee House which is quite popular.
Crimes
Due to its business importance and high concentration of work force SEEPZ has remained the prime target of criminals and terrorists. A high profile case occurred in 1999 when diamondDiamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s worth and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
worth were smuggled out and sold in local market. After the 28 July 2003 Mumbai Bus Bombing
28 July 2003 Mumbai bus bombing
At 21:15 hrs on 28 July 2003 a bomb placed under a seat of a B.E.S.T. bus exploded on the busy Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in Ghatkopar. The bomb was placed in the rear of the bus and killed 4 people and injured 32. A man who was riding a motorcycle behind the bus and a woman who was in a rikshaw...
major stockpile of explosives was also found near SEEPZ. Women employees working in SEEPZ during the night shifts are entitled transport facility between home and office from their employers.
Notable facts
Within the premises is located the ruins of an abandoned PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
church, St. John the Baptist Church, Mumbai built in 1579. The church also laid in ruins for years and access to it restricted since the SEEPZ was formed. After much political controversy, it was handed back to Fr Rodney Esperance of Bombay Archdiocese
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in India. The archdiocese has been a metropolitan see since the time it was elevated by Pope Leo XIII on September 1, 1886. The ecclesiastical province of Bombay includes the suffragan dioceses of Nashik,...
in 2003 in ceremony organized by Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
Sushil Kumar Shinde. A lake and several canteens are located inside the SEEPZ premises.