Sri City is South India’s first and only Special Economic Zone and Integrated Business City, covering 100 square kilometers of multi- product special economic zone, domestic tariff zone, and free trade warehousing zone. Thai furniture manufacturer Rockworth PCL has chosen to build its first factory in South Asia at Sri City. The success of Rockworth's enterprise could lead more Thai businesses to Sri City, located in Andhra Pradesh but only 55 kilometers from Chennai.
Rockworth has set up one of the first factories in Sri City and will officially open its operations in October this year. This will be one of the most modern office manufacturers in India. Rockworth has imported the latest technology and equipment from Europe worth several million euros. At the start, Rockworth will employ 250 local workers but plan to increase this number to 800 in the next three years. As its corporate social responsibility project, Rockworth will donate free desks and chairs to schools located in the vicinity of Sri City. Rockworth's Executive Director Mr. Chakrit Vorachacreyanan plans to open a Thai restaurant in Sri City in the coming year.
Sri City plans to add a residential compound, an international school, shopping malls, and a golf course to its premises. Mr. Ravindra Sannareddy, Sri City’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, is impressed with the quality of golf courses in Thailand and has been looking for Thai golf course developers to help build South India's state-of-the-art golf course at Sri City.
In his meeting with the Thai Ambassador Mr. Pisan Manawapat and Consul-General in Chennai, Mr. Chanchai Charunvatnakit, Mr. Sannareddy says he is eager to do more business with Thailand and wants to head a business delegation of ASSOCHAM members on a road show to Bangkok. Ambassador Pisan suggests that Sri City could also look for potential Thai business partners who are already in India - such as the construction company Italian-Thai Development PCL. Italian-Thai Development PCL has accrued extensive experience in India, having been awarded a number of large-scale infrastructure construction contracts in Calcutta, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur.
As for the residential estate, Consul-General Chanchai will put Sri City in touch with Pruksa India Housing Pvt Ltd. Pruksa Real Estate PCL is currently developing a villa and rowhouse project in Bangalore and is planning to expand to Chennai and Mumbai.
Seeing that there exist many opportunities for Thai and Indian businesses to work together, the potential for partnership with Sri City could further cement and take Thai-India economic relations to a higher level.