HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh tops the list of functional Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the country. This was stated by Union minister of state for commerce and industry Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday in reply to a query posed by independent member Parimal Nathwani.

AP has 32 operational SEZs, followed by Tamil Nadu (22) and Karnataka (20) of the 130 SEZs in the country whose collective exports stand at Rs 2.2 lakh crore. Scindia said the total physical exports from the SEZs in the first three quarters of the current financial year 2010-11 was to the tune of Rs 2,23,132 crore.

This indicates a growth of 46.7 per cent over the exports of corresponding period of the previous financial year. The minister also stated that the investments in the SEZs were to the tune of Rs 1.95 lakh crore, while over six lakh people were employed in these SEZs.

In reply to the Nathwani's question, the minister said five states - AP, TN, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat alone account for 103 SEZs of the total 130 in the country. Gujarat, which houses RIL's SEZ refinery at the world's largest refinery complex in Jamnagar, has 13 functional SEZs. Maharashtra has 16 SEZs. Source: TOI 17/3/11