The main objectives of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Scheme as stipulated in Section 5 of SEZs Act, 2005 include generation of additional economic activity, promotion of exports of goods and services, promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources, creation of employment opportunities and development of infrastructure facilities.  The SEZs are spread across the country.  As such, the details of export, employment and investment relating to operational SEZs during the last 5 years are as under:

Year	Export (Rs. Crores)	Employment* (in persons)	Investment* (Rs. Crores)
2016-2017	5,23,637	17,31,641	4,23,189
2017-2018	5,81,033	19,77,216	4,74,917
2018-2019	7,01,179	20,61,055	5,07,644
2019-2020	7,96,669	22,38,305	5,71,735
2020-2021	7,59,524	23,58,136	6,17,499

* Calculated on cumulative basis.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Special Economic Zones: promoting exports and investment to drive employment and infrastructure development across designated zones. Section 5 of the SEZs Act, 2005 establishes Special Economic Zones to promote exports, attract domestic and foreign investment, create employment, and develop infrastructure. Operational data over five years report changes in export volumes, cumulative employment, and cumulative investment, providing measurable metrics to assess the scheme's performance against its statutory objectives.