Information Technology (IT) exports from Telangana have witnessed enormous growth and reached 1.40 lakh crore in 2021 as against 56,000 crore in 2014, since the formation of the State, said Information and Technology Minister K T Rama Rao.
The leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the stable governance coupled with progressive policies had spurred the massive growth of the IT sector in the State, which was more than double India’s growth rate, he noted, saying Hyderabad emerged a preferred destination for leading global IT companies.
The conducive environment ushered in by the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification Scheme (TS-iPass) and the local talent pool facilitated this growth trajectory, he asserted.
He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the second phase of the IT hub at an estimated cost of ₹36 crore here on Friday.
The IT Tower-II was sanctioned by the State government to meet the demand for additional space at the existing IT hub, the first phase of which was inaugurated by Mr Rao here on December 7 last year.
The second phase of the IT hub will be constructed with a built-up space of 55,000 sq ft and a seating capacity of 570.
There were some apprehensions among certain sections over the prospects of new investments and employment generation when Telangana was formed in 2014, recalled Mr Rama Rao while addressing a gathering comprising techies and representatives of IT companies at the IT hub.The brisk pace of IT growth in Telangana and the surge in IT exports from the State in the past six years proved all such apprehensions wrong.
As part of the decentralised approach to develop IT infrastructure and create employment locally, the State government had set up IT hubs in tier-II cities like Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Khammam in addition to the IT incubation centre in Warangal. New IT hubs are all set to come up under the aegis of the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) in a few more tier-II towns soon.
Plans were afoot to strengthen digital infrastructure by implementing T-fiber project to ensure high speed Internet services to around one crore households to harness technology for promoting e-commerce and e-health initiatives as a means to create employment opportunities for youth, the IT Minister said. Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar said as many as 19 IT companies had become partners in the first phase of the IT hub thereby providing employment opportunities to more than 350 local youths so far.
A host of IT companies from various countries including the U.S. and Australia evinced interest to associate with the second phase of the IT hub.
Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy, Khammam MP Nama Nageswara Rao, and Collector R V Karnan were present on the occasion.
