CHENNAI: Health and hygiene products manufacturer Unicharm India, subsidiary of Japan-based Unicharm Corporation, has begun the construction work for its Rs 250 crore plant to come up at Sri City Special Economic Zone here. 

Unicharm Chairman and Managing Director Miyabayashi and Unicharm India Managing Director Kimura attended the ground-breaking ceremony held recently, Sri City said in a statement.

Unicharm has already inked a lease agreement with Sri City for utilising 40 acres of land for setting up the production facility, it said.

"The Unicharm factory at Sri City will be conceived in phases at a total investment of Rs 250 crore. The initial phase is planned to be completed by July 2015," it said.

The plant is expected to provide employment to 1,000 people, it said.

"(Sri City) its proximity to international airports and sea ports will greatly facilitate our imports and exports. Availability of extensive land at Sri City is an additional advantage for expanding our plant in phases," Miyabayashi said.

So far, 90 companies have set up their manufacturing units in the last five years, at an aggregate investment of Rs 10,000 crore, Sri City Managing Director Ravindra Sannareddy said.