The commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh has finally joined the league of major IT cities in the country with the laying of foundation stone for the IT major Infosys' first campus in Madhya Pradesh and second in the central India after Nagpur.
In an august gathering, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Monday laid the foundation stone for the much-awaited campus of the Infosys at its sprawling venue on the Super Corridor.
Apart from the founder and executive chairman of Infosys Narayana Murthy, the luminaries who were present at the foundation laying ceremony included Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, State IT Minister Bhupendra Singh, State Industry and Commerce Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia and other senior officials from the Infosys and the State Government.
In the first phase of development, the Infosys will complete construction works in 7 lakh sq ft of land for 5,000 working professionals at an estimated cost of Rs400 crore. After completion of construction works, Indore centre of Infosys will provide direct employment opportunities to 13,000 youths annually, of which 50% of the youths will be recruited from Madhya Pradesh itself.
Describing the arrival of Infosys in Indore as a red letter day for the Infosys, Narayan Murthy said, "With the laying of foundation stone for the Infosys in the city, we have taken first definitive step towards adding value to the youths of central India."
He said the Infosys's Indore campus will be one of its finest campuses in India.
He said Madhya Pradesh has a rich cultural history and our presence will further add lustre to the history of Infosys, said Murthy. While heaping praise for the indomitable leadership of State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the erstwhile State IT & Commerce Minister and present State Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for their untiring efforts in bringing the Infosys to Madhya Pradesh, Murthy said apart from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vijayvargiya, the unanimity of every authority connected to Indore and Madhya Pradesh has enabled the Infosys arrive in Indore.
He said creation of job opportunities with higher-level of income is the only sustainable way to eradicate poverty from the society and arrival of Infosys in Madhya Pradesh will help create more job opportunities for the youngsters for the state.
While laying foundation stone for the Infosys in the city, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said arrival of Infosys and TCS in Indore will spur other companies to start its shops in Indore and it will help creation of more job opportunities for State youths. Currently, Madhya Pradesh produces 1.50 lakh engineers every years and it is our endeavours that all the technocrats produced in the State and who have go out of the State for earning, remain in Madhya Pradesh. He said arrival of IT companies and imparting skill development among youths of the State through Skill Development Centres, will not only help create job opportunities for youths in the state but will also help curb brain drain from the State.
Reiterating his pleas to usher Madhya Pradesh in the golden era of information and technology in the country, Chouhan said the initiatives taken by the Government in IT and e-governance sectors, have pushed Madhya Pradesh among top three State of the country as far as e-goverrnance is concerned.