Zoho for businesses in MEPZ Special Economic Zone
For finance heads, owners and IT managers at units inside MEPZ Special Economic Zone on GST Road, Tambaram. SEZ units export most of what they make or build, so we set up Zoho around foreign currency billing, import and DTA records, and the data you need for your Net Foreign Exchange position and annual SEZ reporting.
Who works in MEPZ Special Economic Zone
MEPZ began in 1984 as the Madras Export Processing Zone and became an SEZ in 2003. It is a multi-product zone, and garments, software and engineering products have made up over half of its export value. That gives two very different kinds of unit. Garment, engineering and auto ancillary units import some materials duty free, make to overseas buyer orders, and sometimes sell into the domestic tariff area against Bills of Entry. Software and IT units bill foreign clients for project or time-based work, track staff hours and need clean revenue records by contract. Both operate under a Letter of Approval and report to the Development Commissioner.
Problems we hear from units here
- Export invoices are raised in several currencies, and realisation against each invoice is tracked separately from the books.
- Duty-free imports, consumption and DTA sales are recorded in spreadsheets, which makes NFE and annual report preparation slow.
- IT units log timesheets in one tool and invoice from another, so unbilled hours slip through.
- Garment and engineering units need buyer order costing that includes freight, currency and wastage, not just material rates.
How a Zoho setup runs for a unit in MEPZ Special Economic Zone
- 1
Buyer or client enquiry
Track overseas buyers and clients, quotes and contracts in one pipeline with currency and terms.
- 2
Order or contract
Create the sales order or project with the agreed currency, milestones or rates.
- 3
Imports and materials
Record imported and local purchases, with Bill of Entry references, against the order.
- 4
Production or delivery
Track manufacturing against buyer orders, or log hours and milestones for software work.
- 5
Export invoice and realisation
Raise foreign currency invoices and match bank receipts, including exchange differences.
- 6
SEZ reporting data
Pull export, import and DTA figures by period to support NFE tracking and the annual report.
The Zoho apps that usually fit
Zoho BooksHandles multi-currency export invoicing, realisation and exchange gain or loss in one ledger.
Zoho InventoryTracks imported and local materials against each buyer order for manufacturing units.
Zoho ProjectsGives IT units timesheets, milestones and billable hours tied to client contracts.
Zoho CRMManages overseas buyers and clients across time zones with a shared follow-up history.
Zoho AnalyticsBuilds period reports on exports, imports and DTA sales for SEZ reporting.
Zoho PeopleHandles attendance, leave and HR records for both factory and office teams.
Tax and compliance
SEZ units work under the SEZ Act and SEZ Rules 2006: a Letter of Approval, a positive Net Foreign Exchange position, the Annual Performance Report in Form I, and Bills of Entry for DTA clearances. We set up Zoho so the figures behind these are easy to pull, and configure GST treatment for SEZ supplies and DTA sales. We do not file SEZ returns. We confirm the current rules with your chartered accountant and customs agent and set the system to match their advice.
Related industry set-ups
Questions from businesses in MEPZ Special Economic Zone
Can Zoho Books handle invoices in US dollars, euros and pounds for our MEPZ unit?
Yes. Books supports multi-currency invoicing and bank accounts, records the exchange rate on each invoice, and posts the gain or loss when payment is realised.
Will Zoho file our SEZ Annual Performance Report?
No. Zoho does not file with the SEZ office. We set it up so your export, import and DTA figures can be pulled by period, which makes preparing the report and tracking NFE much faster for your team or consultant.
We are a software unit in the SEZ. What do we actually need?
Usually CRM for clients, Projects for timesheets and milestones, Books for export invoicing, and People for staff records. Hardware stock is rarely the issue; unbilled hours are.
Our MEPZ unit is near Tambaram. Do you work on site or remotely?
Both. We are in Chennai and can visit by appointment, keeping in mind zone entry rules for visitors. Most configuration, testing and training happen over video calls.
How long does a setup take for an SEZ unit?
A CRM setup usually goes live within two weeks. A full setup with Books, Inventory or Projects and SEZ reports typically takes six to twelve weeks. For cost, see /pricing or book a call.
How working with Flowpeak works from MEPZ Special Economic Zone
We deliver remotely from Chennai, India, and have no offices elsewhere. Harikrishnan, our founder, worked at several Zoho partner companies on 600+ implementations before founding Flowpeak in July 2024. He scopes every project, and our certified consultants deliver it.
Meetings in your working hours
Calls run on Google Meet, bookable 7:00 to 23:30 India time, Monday to Friday. That covers the UAE and Saudi working day, UK and European mornings and afternoons, and US East Coast mornings.
Your data stays yours
Everything is built in your own Zoho account and data centre. We work with the access you grant, sign an NDA and a data processing agreement before work starts, and you can remove our access at any time.
30 days of fixes after go-live
Anything that does not work as agreed is fixed at no extra cost for 30 days after go-live. After that, ongoing support is optional.
Paid by milestone
You pay by milestones agreed in your written quote. If the scope grows, we tell you and quote it before doing anything extra.
Common worries, straight answers
“Staff will resist changing habits and the rollout will stall.”
We roll out one team at a time, train each role on its own screens, and keep the first version simple. People adopt a system that removes work, so we cut steps before we add fields.
“Migration of years of historical data looks risky and slow.”
We clean and map your data first, run a test import that you check, and only then move the full history. Your old system stays readable until you sign off.
“We already pay for tools that sort of work; switching seems disruptive mid-season.”
We pick a quiet cut-over date with you and can run old and new side by side for a short period. Tools that work well can stay and be connected instead of replaced.
“Our process is unusual and off-the-shelf software will not fit.”
Most unusual steps fit with Blueprint stage rules, custom modules or a small Creator app. If something does not fit, we tell you in the first call.
Nearby industrial estates
- Thirumudivakkam SIDCO Industrial EstateSIDCO industrial estate, Kanchipuram
- Guindy Industrial EstateSIDCO industrial estate, Chennai
- Maraimalai Nagar SIDCO Industrial EstateSIDCO industrial estate, Chengalpattu
- SIPCOT IT Park, SiruseriSIPCOT IT park, Chengalpattu
See all industrial estates in and around Chennai or our Zoho partner page for Chennai.