The existence of a well-maintained and efficient basic infrastructure is extremely important for the growth of an economy. Power, telecommunications, transportation and water are the precious support components for rapid economic growth. The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are ambitious plans of the Government of India to set up specific regions with liberalized economic regulations and a world class infrastructural facility with the aim of export promotion and increasing the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India. These zones are free trade enclaves, which have liberal economic and labor laws with the aim of attracting FDIs, promotion of exports and creation of a level playing ground for domestic business institutions to compete in the global market. Critics, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the present legislation on SEZs results in the displacement of people, financial drain and the liberal land acquisition policies that will result in `land-scams'. This paper delves into all the aspects of SEZs in India

The existence of a well-maintained and efficient basic infrastructure is extremely important for the growth of an economy. Power, telecommunications, transportation and water are the precious support components for rapid economic growth. It is a well-established fact that substandard infrastructural facilities have been a prime factor in the poor performance of developing countries and India is no exception to it. In this era of neoliberal `borderless' globalized economy, the development of modern and vibrant infrastructural sectors are of utmost importance, both for improving their own performance and realization of potential benefits of reforms in other sectors.

It is an ambitious plan of the government of India to set up for specific regions with liberalized economic regulations and a world class infrastructural facility with the aim of export promotion and increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India. The first EPZ in Asia was set up in India at Kandla (Gujarat) in 1965. The second was build up in Mumbai (Santa Cruz Export Processing Zone) in 1974. Four more zones were set up at Noida (NEPZ), Chennai (MEPZs), Cochin (CEPZ), and Falta (FEPZ) during the mid-1980s. The Visakhapatnam Export Processing Zone (VEPZ) was commissioned in 1994.

Special Economic Zones, Infrastructural sectors, Controversial Paradigms, Economic Growth, Infrastructure Development, Foreign Direct Investment, Telecommunications, Globalized economy, Rapid economic growth, Domestic business, Liberalized economic regulations.