Government of India gave its concurrence for engaging the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for carrying out feasibility study and preparing the Conceptual Development Plan for East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) linking Kolkata in the East through Chennai to Tuticorin in South in a phased manner.

ADB has submitted the final report on Conceptual Development Plan of Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC). Master planning of two nodes namely Visakhapatnam and Srikalahasti-Yerpedu has been initiated. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $631 million (Rs. 4165 crore) in loans and grants for infrastructure development along the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) on 20th September, 2016.

A proposal has been received from Government of Puducherry for inclusion of Puducherry as a node in ECEC. ADB has agreed for feasibility study.

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Feasibility study engagement for an economic corridor advances infrastructure planning and enables targeted financing support. Government concurrence was granted to engage a multilateral development bank to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a Conceptual Development Plan for the East Coast Economic Corridor linking Kolkata through Chennai to Tuticorin; the bank submitted a final plan for the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor, master planning for two nodes has begun, the bank approved loans and grants for VCIC infrastructure, and agreed to a feasibility study for inclusion of Puducherry as a node.