The Information Technology department will forthwith focus on creation of ‘centres of gravity’ in the new State to give fillip to the growth of the sector. The new centres, according to tentative plans, will be established after addressing infrastructure, communication, transport and related issues, according to Union Department of Electronics and Information Technology former secretary J. Satyanarayana.
Mr. Satyanarayana, who retired from the Central services has been appointed the IT advisor to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Government on Saturday. A former IT secretary to the State government in the late 1990s, Mr. Satyanarayana was among the core team of Mr. Naidu when the IT sector in the undivided State witnessed significant growth.
Speaking to The Hindu , he said his priority would be to explore options for proliferating IT growth across the new State. The State was landed in a piquant situation post bifurcation with one of the successor States making significant advancements in the knowledge driven industry while the other State had to start exploring opportunities afresh. “The State has a track record of good IT practices in the e-governance initiatives launched in the past. We have to look out for availability of talented people,” he said.
He admitted that employability had been an area of concern for the industry. “This is certainly an issue and the quality of education has to be scaled up,” he said.
Another key area that needs to be addressed for ensuring speedy growth of the sector is infrastructure and this was a primary requirement for capital formation and communication technology growth. Holding elaborate consultations with stakeholders and taking on board their suggestions will be among one of his priority areas in the coming days.
Mr. Satyanarayana had decided to conduct a study into the opportunities and strengths in the new State in detail before firming up his plans with focus on giving fillip to the sector.
