An investor-friendly Information Communication Technology Policy that will seek to facilitate the growth of software and hardware industries in the State, and prioritising skill development and training to improve employability are among the key announcements of Budget 2011-2012.
Mr. Panneerselvam said IT exports in the State stood at Rs.40,000 crore in the year 2010-2011, and the government was committed towards facilitating further growth of the IT and ITES sectors. Part of this plan is to woo companies to move into Tier-II cities, and rural areas. Huge infrastructure had already been created in Tier-II cities and this would be aggressively marketed, the Finance Minister stated.
With regards Arasu Cable TV Corporation, action is being taken to start operations from the existing four Head Ends. The State will, through its Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission, offer a Modular Employable Skills (MES) certification. The training programme aims to train about 1.50 lakh youth in soft and technical skills during 2011-2012.
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A Tamil Nadu State Skill Registry will be created to capture and monitor skill data. A Skill Smart Card will be issued to all those passing out of the government ITIs. Further, this year, 10 new ITIs will be started to complement the existing 62 ITIs. A sum of Rs.4.6 crore has been set aside to provide two sets of uniforms, and a pair of shoes to each trainee in the ITIs. The Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) will be thoroughly revamped to make it a dynamic institution.