Tata Consultancy Services [ Get Quote ] and Cognizant Technology were among 20 SEZ proposals that were cleared today by the Board of Approval, which met in New Delhi [ Images ] to consider 31 proposals.

BoA has given formal approval to 15 special economic zones, including those of TCS and Cognizant, and in-principle nod to five, Commerce Secretary and BoA Chairman G K Pillai told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi.

Tata Consultancy Services proposes to set up a 30.35 hectare IT zone in Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh, while Cognizant Technology Solutions has plans to establish a 16-hectare IT SEZ.

With these approvals, the total number of formally cleared SEZs now stand at 381, even as 183 proposals have been given in-principle nod.

The next meeting of BoA is scheduled on September 18. BoA also gave in-principle approval to Gitanjali Gems' [ Get Quote ] for setting up a 102-hectare gems and jewellery zone and a 1,000 hectare multi-product project in Maharashtra [ Images ].

Welspun's 121-hectare engineering product zone and Gujarat Hydrocarbon and Energy SEZ Ltd's proposal to set up a 220-hectare project in the energy and petrochemical sector in Gujarat were also given in-principle approval.

Proposal of AEC Marketing for a gems and jewellery zone in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Anant Raj Industries' [ Get Quote ] 10-hectare IT zone in Haryana were not considered as authorities in the respective regions withdrew their permissions.

India's great rush for SEZs