Tata Consultancy Services [Get Quote] and Cognizant Technology were among 20 SEZ proposals that were cleared today by the Board of Approval, which met in New Delhi to consider 31 proposals.

BoA has given formal approval to 15 special economic zones, including those of TCS and Cognizant, and in-principle nod to five, Commerce Secretary and BoA Chairman G K Pillai told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi.

Tata Consultancy Services proposes to set up a 30.35 hectare IT zone in Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh, while Cognizant Technology Solutions has plans to establish a 16-hectare IT SEZ.

With these approvals, the total number of formally cleared SEZs now stand at 381, even as 183 proposals have been given in-principle nod.

The next meeting of BoA is scheduled on September 18. BoA also gave in-principle approval to Gitanjali Gems' [Get Quote] for setting up a 102-hectare gems and jewellery zone and a 1,000 hectare multi-product project in Maharashtra.

Welspun's 121-hectare engineering product zone and Gujarat Hydrocarbon and Energy SEZ Ltd's proposal to set up a 220-hectare project in the energy and petrochemical sector in Gujarat were also given in-principle approval.

Proposal of AEC Marketing for a gems and jewellery zone in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Anant Raj Industries' [Get Quote] 10-hectare IT zone in Haryana were not considered as authorities in the respective regions withdrew their permissions.

India's great rush for SEZs