KEONICS will set up IT park in city, says Deputy Chief Minister

Detailed project report will be submitted to govt. for approval: MD

The audience at the inauguration ceremony of the Mangaluru Innovation Conclave in Mangaluru on Wednesday.

The Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood C.N. Ashwath Narayan said here on Wednesday that the government will set up an Information Technology Park at Derebail in the city.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of Mangaluru Innovation Conclave, organised by Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KEONICS) and the Centre for Contemporary Issues, Bengaluru, the Minister said that the KEONICS will set up the park on its 3.25 acres in the city. There is about four-acre government land adjacent to the KEONICS land. It will also be taken into possession to develop the park.

The Minister said that earlier it had been proposed to develop the park on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model. Since no private party has come forward to develop it, now it has been decided to develop the park through the KEONICS. S.N. Siddaramappa, Managing Director, KEONICS, said that a detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed project will be submitted to the government soon for its approval. It would require about ₹60-crore investment to construct the building at the proposed site and about two years are required to complete it.

Speaking at the conclave, the Minister said that the government is giving incentives to those Information Technology companies who set up their units outside Bengaluru. The government has stopped providing incentives to companies which set up their units in Bengaluru.

E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT and Science and Technology, said that the incentives included funding up to ₹3 crore, rental reimbursement, stamp duty exemption, and the like.

K. Harikrishna Bantwal, chairman, KEONICS, said that about 50,000 students passed out from colleges in Dakshina Kannada every year. Of them about 15,000 students found jobs in Mangaluru and Udupi. The remaining went out in search of jobs. Setting up of an IT park will create job opportunities.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, said that the software business in Mangaluru is expected to touch to ₹7,500 crore by 2023.

Steven David, chairman, Centre for Contemporary Issues spoke.

The MLAs D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Y. Bharat Shetty, Rajesh Naik U., and Umanath A. Kotian were present.