A new Information Technology Policy-2013 is likely to be in operation by the end of the current month. “The formulation of a draft Odisha IT Policy-2013 is in its final stage. The new policy will be effective by the end of this month after getting the nod of the State Cabinet,” said the IT Minister Pratap Keshari Deb. Deb said the policy would provide attractive incentives including financial assistance to the prospective IT entrepreneurs.
The main thrust of the proposed policy would be to create ten times growth in the quantum of export of IT materials and to increase the employment potential by 60,000 in the IT and ITES sector by 2020.
He said that at present the export in IT sector was in increasing trend and it is targeted to export IT products to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore against the present quantum of Rs 2,000 crore.
According to STPI sources, over 11,000 of persons have been engaged in IT sector in the State while as many as 112 IT industries have so far been established in and around Bhubaneswar.
On the InfoValley project coming up at Goudakashipur on the outskirts of the capital city, Deb said the problem relating to the entry point approach from the HH-5 would be solved soon and the Works Department has been asked to expedite the construction of the 5-km stretch approach road. Similarly, the Energy Department has also been asked to take necessary steps for installation of power substations to provide sustained and required supply of electricity to the InfoValley project.
According to official sources the InfoValley will come up in over 600 acres of land and the anchor tenant Infosys has committed an investment of Rs 300 crore in the first phase of the project, which is scheduled to be operational within 14 months of commencement of construction work.
While Infoys has around 3,000 workforce in the existing Infocity and targets to employ another 3,500, the second campus in the InfoValley would have a pool of 5,000 employees in all. The IT Minister said that number of IT national and international majors like TCS, WIPRO have already evinced interest for their hub in the InfoValley.
Meanwhile, the State Government approved the proposal of Industrial Development Corporation Odisha ltd to engage Jurong Consultants Pte limited of Singapore for preparation of master plan of InfoValley project with a consultancy fee of SGD 6,50,000 according to official sources.
With a the Union IT Ministry approving to set up IT park at Baleswar, for promotion of IT industries and software exports, the State Government has decided to sign a MoU with Software Technological Parks of India (STPI) soon to set up an STPI facility at Baleswar, sources said.