Information Technology (IT) and pharmaceutical sector will be the major growth engines of the city for creating big employment opportunities, Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha member and State BJP president K. Haribabu has said.
With the natural advantages the city has with a major port, international airport, rail trunk route and national highway passing through, several prestigious PSUs and SEZs, it’s akin to Mumbai and has potential to become economic capital of the State after bifurcation.
Concerted efforts should be made to showcase it as IT capital and increase the IT exports from the present Rs.1,450 crore to about Rs.10,000 crore in the next two, three years overcoming constraints, he told The Hindu .
Apart from Tech Mahindra and Wipro that had announced their expansion plans, other big companies also should be attracted, Mr. Haribabu said. He was in touch with veteran IT professional J. A. Chowdary and a good number of companies from Singapore were keen on coming to Visakhapatnam. They would be invited to the city for an interaction and showcase Vizag, he said.
With two Pharma SEZs, the potential for pharma companies also should to be tapped, says Mr. Haribabu. In his interaction with some companies, they indicated that there was a shortage of skilled manpower.
“For this I plan to hold a big meeting with pharma companies, vice-chancellors of universities and principals of pharma colleges,” said Mr. Haribabu. The colleges will be asked to come up with bridge course to fill the skill deficiency. The companies may select the students for the bridge course too and after it should offer apprenticeship to them.
He is of the view that once these jobs with educated youth getting up to Rs.30,000 are created they will lead to indirect employment. Tourism also offered big potential.
Describing Polavaram multi-purpose project as the lifeline of the new State, he said the Central Government should see to it that it was taken up as national project and completed so as to meet the water needs of the city. It had shown its commitment by merging the areas that faced submergence in Andhra Pradesh. The State Government is also keen on its completion.
Mr. Haribabu exuded confidence that the Narendra Modi Government would fulfil all the assurances given to the nascent State in the A P Reorganisation Act.
