**Executive Summary**
This report, a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2692, provides information about Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in India, with a focus on Tamil Nadu, as of December 16, 2025. It covers the number of SEZs, investment, employment, export performance, and policy measures. No SEZ proposals from Tamil Nadu are currently pending approval.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **SEZ Numbers (as of 2025):**
* A state/union territory wise list of total notified, total operational, and total non-operational (including under construction) SEZs is detailed in the Annexure.
* Tamil Nadu has a total of 58 notified SEZs, with 49 operational and 9 non-operational (including under construction).
* **Investment, Employment, and Exports in Tamil Nadu (as of 31.03.2025):**
* Cumulative investment in SEZs: ₹72,041 crore.
* Cumulative employment generated: 6,07,812 persons.
* Export performance (₹ in crore) over the last five years:
* 2020-21: 1,16,844
* 2021-22: 1,36,329
* 2022-23: 1,72,580
* 2023-24: 1,77,930
* 2024-25: 2,03,304
* **SEZ Proposals and Approval:**
* SEZs are primarily private investment-driven.
* The Board of Approval, constituted under the SEZ Act, 2005, considers proposals recommended by State Governments.
* No SEZ proposals from Tamil Nadu are currently pending with the Central Government.
* **Policy Measures and Review:**
* The SEZ Act, 2005, and SEZ Rules, 2006, guide economic activity, infrastructure development, and employment creation in all SEZs, including those in Tamil Nadu.
* Environmental compliance provisions are in place for SEZ Developers and Units.
* The Government of India assesses the performance and impact of SEZs, including those in Tamil Nadu, regularly as per the SEZ Act, 2005 and SEZ Rules, 2006.
* Overall performance is evaluated based on monthly reports from the Development Commissioner of the SEZs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Central Government/Ministry of Commerce & Industry**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the overarching policy, monitoring, and evaluation of SEZs nationwide. The Ministry needs to track the investment, employment, and export performance of SEZs, particularly in Tamil Nadu.
* **Action Required:** Continue to monitor and evaluate SEZ performance based on monthly reports and ensure compliance with the SEZ Act and Rules.
**State Government of Tamil Nadu**
* **Impact:** Responsible for recommending SEZ proposals to the Central Government and ensuring equitable development, local employment, and environmental compliance within the SEZs in the state.
* **Action Required:** Continue to monitor the performance of SEZs, recommend proposals as appropriate, and ensure compliance with environmental and social regulations.
**SEZ Developers and Units**
* **Impact:** Directly responsible for attracting investment, generating employment, driving exports, and complying with environmental regulations within their respective zones.
* **Action Required:** Adhere to all provisions and guidelines outlined in the SEZ Act, 2005, SEZ Rules, 2006, and other relevant regulations; submit monthly performance reports to the Development Commissioner.
**Local Industries, MSMEs, and Farmers in Tamil Nadu**
* **Impact:** Can be positively or negatively affected by the economic activity generated by SEZs, regarding competition, market access, and employment opportunities.
* **Action Required:** Adapt to changing market conditions and explore opportunities to collaborate with or supply to SEZs. No other actions are explicitly required as part of this document.
Key Entities Referenced
Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Areas designed to promote trade and investment, subject of the parliamentary question.
SEZ Act, 2005: The primary legislation governing Special Economic Zones in India.
Tamil Nadu: Indian state with significant SEZ activity, a focus of the parliamentary question.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry: The Indian government ministry responsible for SEZs and answering the parliamentary question.
SEZ Rules, 2006: Rules created under SEZ Act, 2005 for environmental compliances
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2692
ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES
2692. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S:
Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री) be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) sanctioned, operational and under
construction in the country, State-wise particularly for Tamil Nadu;
(b) the investment attracted, employment generated and export performance of SEZs in Tamil
Nadu since their establishment;
(c) whether any SEZ proposals from Tamil Nadu are pending approval with the Government
and if so, the details thereof along with the status of such proposals;
(d) the policy measures taken to ensure equitable development, local employment and
environmental compliance in SEZs, particularly in Tamil Nadu; and
(e) whether the Government has conducted any review or evaluation of the impact of SEZs
on local industries, MSMEs and farmers in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof along
with the key findings thereof?
ANSWER
वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्यमंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद)
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI JITIN PRASADA)
(a) The States/ Union Territories-wise detail of number of Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
notified, operational and non-operational (including under-construction) is at Annexure.
(b) As on 31.03.2025, the cumulative investment in SEZs in Tamil Nadu is ₹72,041 crore and
cumulative employment generated is 6,07,812 persons. The exports performance of SEZs in
Tamil Nadu during the last five years is as under:
Year 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Export from SEZs in 1,16,844 1,36,329 1,72,580 1,77,930 2,03,304
Tamil Nadu
(in ₹ crore)
(c) SEZs are primarily private investment driven initiatives which may be established either jointly
or severally by the Central Government, State Governments or any person. The Board of
Approval constituted under SEZ Act, 2005 considers such proposals which have been duly
recommended by respective State Governments. At present, no proposal for setting up of such
SEZs in the State of Tamil Nadu is pending with the Central Government.
(d) & (e) The generation of economic activity, development of infrastructure facilities and creation
of employment opportunity are the guiding principles laid down under the SEZ Act, 2005 for all
SEZs, including those in Tamil Nadu. The SEZ Act, 2005 and the SEZ Rules, 2006 also include
1provisions and guidelines for environmental compliances required to be adhered by all SEZs
Developers and Units.
In addition to this, the performance and impact of all SEZs, including in Tamil Nadu, is assessed
regularly in accordance with the provisions of SEZ Act, 2005 and SEZ Rules, 2006. Additionally,
Government of India evaluates the overall performance of all SEZs based on monthly
performance reports submitted by the Development Commissioner of the SEZs.
2Annexure as mentioned in Part (a) in answer to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.
2692 for 16th December, 2025
States/UTs Total Total Operational Non-Operational (incl. under
Notified SEZs construction) SEZs
SEZs
Andhra Pradesh 30 25 5
Arunachal Pradesh 1 0 1
Bihar 2 0 2
Chandigarh 2 2 0
Chhattisgarh 2 1 1
Delhi 0 0 0
Goa 3 0 3
Gujarat 27 22 5
Haryana 22 8 14
Jharkhand 2 1 1
Karnataka 50 38 12
Kerala 20 19 1
Madhya Pradesh 8 6 2
Maharashtra 41 36 5
Manipur 1 0 1
Nagaland 2 0 2
Odisha 5 5 0
Puducherry 0 0 0
Punjab 3 3 0
Rajasthan 6 3 3
Sikkim 0 0 0
Tamil Nadu 58 49 9
Telangana 53 37 16
Tripura 1 0 1
Uttar Pradesh 23 14 9
West Bengal 8 7 1
Total 370 276 94
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