(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Board shall have the duty to promote and ensure orderly development of the Special Economic Zones.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions contained in sub-section (1), the powers and functions of the Board shall include--

(a) granting of approval or rejecting proposal or modifying such proposals for establishment of the Special Economic Zones;

(b) granting approval of authorised operations to be carried out in the Special Economic Zones by the Developer;

(c) granting of approval to the Developers or Units (other than the Developers or the Units which are exempt from obtaining approval under any law or by the Central Government) for foreign collaborations and foreign direct investments (including investments by a person resident outside India), in the Special Economic Zone for its development, operation and maintenance;

(d) granting of approval or rejecting of proposal for providing infrastructure facilities in a Special Eonomic Zone or modifying such proposals;

(e) granting, notwithstanding anything contained in the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 (65 of 1951), a licence to an industrial undertaking referred to in clause (d) of section 3 of that Act, if such undertaking is established, as a whole or part thereof, or proposed to be established, in a Special Economic Zone;

(f) suspension of the letter of approval granted to a Developer and appointment of an Administrator under sub-section (1) of section 10;

(g) disposing of appeals preferred under sub-section (4) of section 15;

(h) disposing of appeals preferred under sub-section (4) of section 16;

(i) performing such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Central Government.

(3) The Board may, if so required for the purposes of this Act or any other law for the time being in force relating to Special Economic Zones, by notification, decide as to whether a particular activity constitutes manufacture as defined in clause (r) of section 2 and such decision of the Board shall be binding on all Ministries and Departments of the Central Government.

(4) The Board may delegate such powers and functions as it may deem fit to one or more Development Commissioners for effective and proper discharge of the functions of the Board.

(5) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this Act, the Board shall, in exercise of its powers or the performance of its functions under this Act, be bound by such directions on questions of policy as the Central Government may give in writing to it from time to time.

(6) The decision of the Central Government whether a question is one of policy or not shall be final.