Promising required infrastructure and out of the box incentives for the growth of information technology (IT) sector in the city, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has said self-contained and integrated townships will be planned as in Pune for promoting IT. It will be developed as a model hub and low cost IT destination.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Mahathi Software Private Limited at the IT SEZ at Rushikonda on Monday evening, he expressed his resolve to expand IT to Tier II cities Vijayawada, Warangal, Tirupati, Kakinada besides Visakhapatnam so that the development percolates to all regions instead of concentrating in Hyderabad. Though IT began in a small way in Visakhapatnam in 1999, it gained prominence in 2005 and presently its export turnover growth rate is 35 per cent, higher than the State's 24.5 per cent and the 20.65 per cent at national level. The 80 IT companies accounted for Rs.502 crores of export turnover.
Of the 34 companies to which sites have been allotted, six started functioning and 10 are in various stages of construction. The projects should not only expand work but create more employment, he stated. All IT professional should come together and help in the growth.
The State itself increased its IT export turnover from a modest Rs.284 crores in 1999 to Rs.32,509 crores in 2009 while the employment rose from 12,000 to 2.51 lakh making it fourth in IT at the national level.
Mahathi Software Private Limited is run by the family members of a prominent personality of the city late Dr. Thambu. It has an office space of 1.2 lakh sft spread over two acres of land. Employing 200 IT professionals, it has an export turnover of Rs.30 crores.
Mr. Rosaiah said Jawahar Knowledge Centres were being promoted in a big way to create employment opportunities. Principal Secretary, IT, K. Ratna Prabha said the export turnover from the city was expected to touch Rs.1,500 crores in the next three years.
Ministers Kanna Lakshminarayana, P.Balaraju, Botsa Satyanarayana, APIIC President S. Shiva Rama Subramanyam, APIIC VC and MD B.R. Meena, Mayor Pulusu Janardhana Rao, Government Whip K. Muralimohan, MLAs M. Srinivasa Rao and Tyanala Vijay Kumar, Mahathi Software CEO C.S. Padmavathi and President Chakri Toleti participated.
