minimum stipulated value addition of 30%, with an option to reduce it to 20% for deserving cases. During the first year, i.e. 1986-87, the zone recorded a total export of 94 lakhs, which grew to 120.31 Crores in 1995-96. The net foreign exchange earnings in this period was 200 Crores. The liberalization of the economy from 1991 boosted the performance of the zone considerably. By the next decade, the total exports has grown to 696 Crores. By the year 2009-10, the total turnover grew to 17124 crores. Even though the zone was envisaged to leverage on the cheap labour and the locally available raw materials to facilitate the units, it saw the establishment of a few units in advanced technologies. AMP Tools, a subsidiary of AMP Inc. set up a unit to produce advanced tooling, which commenced operation in July 1992. NortPak Fiber Optics set up a unit to manufacture fiber optic switches and multiplexers in April 1993. Sun Fibre Optics started manufacturing fiber optic networking products in April 1991. In recent years, the norms for value addition had been changed, facilitating the operation of gem and jewellery manufacturing units. The leading exports had been from this class in the recent years, followed by Electronics Hardware. The traditional items like readymade garments and rubber products had been on comparative decline. Units in CSEZ CSEZ currently have 160 units functioning within employing around 15,000 people. See also Special Economic Zone Free trade zone List of SEZs in India References Further reading Manoharan, V M, Sankaranarayanan, K C(1996). An evaluation of the working of the export processing zones in India-A case study with reference to the Cochin export processing zone, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Chapter IV External links Official site CSEZ Authority Economy of Kochi Special Economic Zones of India