July 10: A software technology park and a massive hospital will be part of Vashi railway station complex according to plans drawn up by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for Navi Mumbai.

In an exclusive interview with Express Newsline CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Vishwas Dhumal revealed that the software technology park would be on the lines of a similar project in Bangalore. Major software giants would be approached to set up their shops since the `planned city' offered the `right ambience' for such units, he said.

The readily available office infrastructure at the Vashi railway station complex, the housing stock and the transport facilities would all be of a great help to the software units, Dhumal stated.

The plans were drafted following a survey conducted by the Tata Consultancy Services to determine the response of the software companies. The survey, jointly commissioned by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and CIDCO, showed that software companies preferred two alternatives - Pune and Navi Mumbai for their projects.

CIDCO would now hardsell the readily available infrastructure in Navi Mumbai, Dhumal said. He disclosed that the corporation was also working on a major hospital complex between the prestigious non-resident Indian housing complex and Belapur. The complex would have a series of hospitals with various specialities.

An export-oriented fashion garment manufacturing complex will be promoted near Kalamboli on the Panvel-Mushra road, he said. A fashion design centre was already planned at the upcoming Kharghar node. CIDCO would limit itself to providing the facilities. "The actual running part would have to be given to the private sector," he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.