Strides in IT Sans Smart City
REPORT ON Date: 16-12-2009

The massive efforts of the State Government to develop information technology industry in such a way in the State as to give employment to thousands of educated youth are largely fruitful, although the smart city project has not yet taken off. The insistence of the company Teecom, the chief promoter of the project, for having complete rights over the land stands as a stumbling block. It must not be forgotten that the previous government’s bid to hand over the entire Inforpark to smart city was stalled due to the timely intervention of the LDF. Now the stupendous effort of the government is taking IT industry development in the State to new horizons beyond the smart city.

In spite of the delay in materializing the mega infrastructure IT facility project viz the smart city, the development of IT in the State has been untrammeled. It is making real strides in the State. The latest in a series of IT centres that are built up in the State is the Koratty IT Park which is conveniently located near the Nedumbassery international.airport. The park is coming up in a 30 acre campus and in the first stage itself 70,000 sq.feet area will be developed for IT companies.

The IT park at Koraty will function under Kochi Infopark which is a landmark of IT development in the State like the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark. Previously there were nefarious efforts to bestow the whole of Infopark on the proposed Smart City. But the present government decided to retain Infropark under the government. Since then several IT majors have set up shops at Infopark. At present 45 companies function in a sprawling campus of a hundred acres. Till now 20 lakh sq.feet area has been built up for prospective companies. More than 600 crore has been invested at this centre. Software exports recorded a giant leap in Inforpark. Whereas in 2006 software exports were for a meagre Rs. 79 crores in 2009 it has crossed 400 crores. There has been an addition of 5000 persons in the workforce. A building complex called Athulya is coming up in the infopark.

For the second stage development of Infopark government is acquiring another extent of 160acres. Development in the second stage is conceived in such a manner as to yield 50000/- jobs additionally in the sector. The IT Park at Kundara in Kollam district is coming up under the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark. More than 150 companies do business in Technopark giving employment to more than 20000/- IT professionals accommodated in State-of-the-art office area of 40 lakh sq.feet. The expenditure requirement of an IT company in Technopark is only one third of what is incurred in similar IT parks elsewhere. The third stage of Technopark is coming up in the campus and with its completion there will be complete utilization of the land available here.

Technocity which can be considered as the fourth stage of Technopark is coming up in a 450 acre sprawling area near the present Technopark beside Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam National Highway. The possibilities of IT sector in spite of global economic meltdown have prompted the state government to implement a strategy of decentralized development of IT in the State. Techno lodge conceived as a miniature IT centre at the panchayat level to help small entrepreneurs to set shop has proved immensely successful. The experiment is slated to be replicated in several places.

In order to facilitate IT development in northern part of the State construction of a Cyberpark will be shortly begun at Kozhikode. Under this Cyber Park IT centres will be constructed at Eramath in Kannur and Cheemeni in Kasaragod districts. The construction of technopark at Cherthala, Ambalapuzha and Kundara are under completion. Thus, the objective of the State Governemnt to develop information technology industry in the whole State is under realization. y.

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