After becoming one of the most attractive destinations for setting up apparel parks, integrated alloy steel projects, textile and footwear units, Nellore district will soon become a hub for even Wind Electric Generators (WEG) with the Chennai-based Regen Powertech Private Limited soon setting up a production unit a t Mambattu near Tada.

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has allotted 40 acres of land to the company close to Apache Investment Holding Limited, the Singapore based global footwear major and exclusive supplier of foot wear to Adidas to establish their state-of-the-art 1.5 MW WEG production unit. The Chennai-based company, which has been producing windmill equipment in collaboration with German-based Vensys Energiesysteme GmhH & CO, KG, has recently performed 'Booomi Puja'.

"The company will invest around Rs 120 crore in the current financial year - 2007-08 and subsequently put in more than Rs700 crore in a phased manner to set up the most advanced and the first of its kind WEG producing unit in the country. And the production unit set up by the Regen Powertech Private Limited might offer employment avenues to nearly 2,000 people," said a senior official.

Moreover, Andhra Pradesh, which has been lagging behind in power generation through windmills compared to many States in the country, could feel solace as the production unit at Mambattu might augment power generation in coming years. The official said that the promoter would begin construction work in a few weeks and begin production in a few months. In the mean time, APIIC has earmarked around 10 acres of land for Tatas, who might set up an iron sheet production unit at Konduru near Tada.

After having lost the hot race both for the small car - Chevrolet Spark - manufacturing facility of the General Motors and the German car company Volkswagen AG's car plant to neighbouring Maharashtra, the district administration is leaving no stone unturned to showcase the district as an ideal location logistically for the Ashok Leyland Limited's Greenfield Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) plant.

With the Ashok Leyland Ltd expressing its intent to set up an LCV project that will have the capacity to produce one-lakh vehicles with an initial investment of about Rs 1,000 crore to 1,500 crore in the first phase to be scaled up to Rs 3,000 crore in the next phase, the district administration in coordination with the Industries department and the APIIC is ready to showcase many vacant land stretches across the district.