Hyderabad poised for big growth with ITIR

HYDERABAD: In an effort to create confidence in investors, minister for information technology, electronics and communications Ponnala Lakshmaiah has claimed that the uncertain political situation prevailing in the state due to the ongoing agitation in Seemandhra against state's bifurcation will have no effect on the IT sector.

Speaking at a workshop on Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) organised by his department here, the minister said that as far as the IT sector was concerned the announcement of bifurcation had not affected it much. On the other hand, a few new IT companies came to the state, he claimed and said, 'I inaugurated two IT companies in Hyderabad in the last two months.'

Despite the agitations, Infosys, Wipro and Oracle are going ahead with their expansion plans. Infosys, which has a manpower of about 8,500 in the present office, is planning to create 45,000 jobs in the next three years. Similarly, TCS was planning to create 25,000 and Wipro 10,000 jobs, he said.

'With the proposed ITIR in Hyderabad there is much more possibility of new IT companies coming to the state. Business has nothing to do with state bifurcation and the state government taking steps to attract investments and is signing MoUs with companies.'

Describing the proposed ITIR in Hyderabad as a stepping stone to take the city to the next level in the field of information technology, the minister said the project was expected to generate direct revenues of Rs 3,10,849 crore, attract IT investments of Rs 2,19,440 crore and generate exports to the tune of Rs 2,35,000 crore. The ITIR was expected to provide direct employment to 14.80 lakh and indirect employment to 55.90 lakh people, he said.

The state government is also planning to set up Information Technology Investment Regions at Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, which will come up in 50,000 acres over 30 years.

The government has already prepared a report pertaining to the proposed ITIR in 12,000 acres at Visakhapatnam and will be forwarded to the Centre shortly.

The construction of Software Technology Parks of India's incubation towers at Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kakinada and Warangal by the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation will be completed by December this year.

The state government is establishing a Rs 200 crore gaming and animation zone at Raidurg, near Hitec City, in Hyderabad on the lines of international media cities at Manchester in Britain, Montreal in Canada and Dubai. The government has allotted 30 acres of land for the project, which is expected to provide an entertainment technology-based eco-system.

Terming Hyderabad as the largest film producing centre in the country, Lakshmaiah said 289 films had been produced in India last year, of which 180 were produced in Hyderabad. Seeing the potential of the city, the government decided to establish a gaming and animation zone here, he explained.

ITC secretary Sanjay Jaju, APIIC vice-chairman and managing director Jayesh Ranjan, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board managing director J Shyamala Rao and other senior officials addressed the workshop.

The workshop was attended by secretaries and heads of various government departments and corporations including APIIC, HMDA, HMWS&SB, AP Pollution Control Board, Metro Rail, National Highways Authority of India and representatives of IT, IT-enabled services, electronics, animation and gaming industry.