Kerala set to take next big step in IT: Chandy

Phase 3 gives Technopark status of India’s largest IT park

NEW HORIZONS: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurates the twin towers Ganga and Yamuna of Technopark Phase 3 through Skype in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

Kerala is poised to take a giant leap in the Information Technology sector over the next two years to become another Silicon Valley, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

Addressing a function to inaugurate the phase 3 campus of Technopark here on Wednesday, he said the completion of the Infopark and Smart City projects in Kochi, the Cyberpark project in Kozhikode and the global learning centre of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Thiruvananthapuram would signal a major development in the State’s IT infrastructure. This, he said, would augment the efforts to promote entrepreneurship in the sector.

Mr. Chandy, who addressed the gathering through a videoconferencing network, said the State had registered an increase of Rs.1,320 crore in exports last year. “With 300 companies providing jobs to 45,000 IT professionals to earn annual export revenue of Rs.4,500 crore, Technopark is the pride of Kerala. Over 2,00,000 families depend on Technopark for a living”.

The completion of the new campuses of TCS, Infosys, and UST was expected to generate another 22,000 jobs next year, he observed.

Mr. Chandy said the phase 3 campus had given Technopark the status of India’s largest Information Technology park spread over 333 acres, with a total built-up space of 7.2 million sq ft. Work on another 2.5 million sq ft was progressing.

The twin towers named Ganga and Yamuna that form the landmark feature of the new Technopark campus boast the distinction of being India’s single largest certified Green building. Spread over 92 acres, the campus has over one million sq. ft of IT-ready workspace to accommodate 75,000 IT professionals.

Presiding over the function, Minister for Information Technology P.K. Kunhalikutty said the government had taken effective steps to provide handholding for IT companies and ensure more global exposure for small ad medium enterprises. “Our infrastructure is expanding. A Technology Innovation Zone is being set up in Kochi, and ICT Technology Centres are proposed in every district. We are also developing a new policy to promote Private IT Parks. Smart City has started its operations, Infopark in Kochi is expanding and Cyberpark has also got the nod.”