The prime focus of J.A. Chowdary, who was appointed IT Adviser to the Government of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, is to mobilise investments, create IT ecosystem, and provide more jobs.
In a telephonic interaction with The Hindu , he says that the IT industry in India and in the U.S. will be roped in to kick-start IT initiatives in Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Chowdary will also serve as ex-officio Secretary to the Government in the Chief Minister’s Office. His role includes advising and assisting the government in bringing in investments, generating employment, and encouraging innovation and start-up activities. “It’s the time for a foolproof strategy. The focus is to evaluate options on how to get the companies to Amaravati and create more opportunities to the youth of the State. So, creation of jobs, attracting investments, and securing funds for start-ups is my primary objective,” says Mr. Chowdary.
Office in Vijayawada
More action on the IT front can be seen here in the coming days as Mr. Chowdary is planning to set up his office in Vijayawada.
“I will be visiting Vijayawada shortly and there will be more clarity in terms of strategy in a couple of days. Meanwhile, I’m planning to set up an office out there. There is an immediate need to have the start-up ecosystem and nurture the IT industry,” he says. A team of professionals, led by Mr. Chowdary, will be visiting Microsoft’s facility in the U.S. to take forward the MoUs signed by the government and the IT major for technical collaboration in education, health, and agriculture. It is given to understand that it will be a right opportunity to pitch Amaravati as an ideal destination for investments. On forthcoming developments in Amaravati, he says that the initial key IT infrastructure can be seen in the Financial City and Central Business District.
Currently, the area earmarked for the Financial City includes three villages — Uddandarayani Palem, Tallayapalem, and Venkatapalem. It will also have business parks with lush greenery. Mr. Chowdary earlier served as Chairman of the Board of Software Technologies Parks of India (STPI), Hyderabad and Chennai. He was one of the key personalities instrumental in bringing about an IT revolution in Hyderabad. He is a well-networked IT man and also one among the trusted lieutenants of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
There is an immediate need
to have start-up ecosystem and nurture IT
industry, he says
