After green flag shown by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Wipro’s plan to develop an IT Special Economic Zone on the land allotted to it 2004-05, Tech Mahindra and Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering & Research (SAMEER) are getting ready with their mega projects in Visakhapatnam.
With encouraging response from investors to the government’s announcement to make Vizag IT capital of AP, Wipro submitted a proposal to set up SEZ on an area of 3.14 acres with an employment of 7,000 in a span of five years.
Of 7.14 acres allotted to it by the government, Wipro has completed its first phase project creating a built-up area of two lakh sq. ft. in the heart of the city at TB Hospital junction. Tech Mahindra (erstwhile Satyam) which also got site opposite Wipro is now expanding facilities on its existing campus.
Tech Mahindra is being allotted 10 acres on Hill No. 3 of Rushikonda where APIIC has developed the city’s first IT SEZ overlooking the sea. Sources told The Hindu that the proposed facility would specialise in skill development and training.
SAMEER, which is under Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, wants to set up its second R&D campus in South India after Chennai in the city. A senior official of APIIC said 20 acres had been sought for the Rs.100-crore project. In-principle, it has been decided to allot land at Gambheeram IT SEZ on the city outskirts.
IT turnover from Vizag has remained at around Rs.1500 crore with a growth rate of 15 to 20 per cent. There is a proposal to develop a cluster exclusively for small and medium entrepreneurs by allotting 100 acres.
ITIR projectErnst & Young submitted its report on the proposed IT Investment Region (ITIR) in Visakhapatnam before bifurcation. The project envisages several IT/ITES/Electronic Hardware Clusters in an area of 10,995 acres out of which the processing area will be in 4,568 acres.
Though there is not much progress in identifying land for ITIR, Minister for IT Palle Raghunatha Reddy during his recent visit had reiterated government’s commitment to go ahead with the project.
