The Odisha Government is planning to set up a virtual office in the Silicon Valley of the United States to attract investment to the State.
After attending the TiEcon-2013, a global conference of investors in the IT sector, held on May 17 and 18 in Santa Clara, US, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik feels the urgency for such an extension centre of the State-run IPICOl for regular contact with investors and to tap opportunities as and when they come.
Once the Chief Minister agrees to such a proposal, the IPICOl will open the facility in the Silicon Valley for which the TiE authorities have agreed to provide space free of cost.
The Chief Secretary led a team of officers comprising IT Secretary Madhusudan Padhi, IPICOl CMD G Mathivathanan, IDCO CMD and BDA Vice-Chairman Vishal Dev to the TiEcon, which has 26,000 members from 60 countries. He presented the investment scenario in Odisha, saying the State is one of the top three in India attracting highest investments in the industry sector.
While growth of the State is 9 per cent, highest poverty reduction has been experienced in the State during 2004-2011, said Patnaik.
On the demand of investors, who showed a lot of interest in Odisha, opening of a virtual office in the Silicon Valley will go a long way in tapping investment, said TiE Chairman Venk Sukla.
Prabhu Goel, a leading voice in TiE who is investing in Odisha in a major way in various sectors, has also favoured the idea.
While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is favouring more and more investment in the IT and ITES sector, he has asked the officials to finalise an ICT Policy-2013 by the end of June. The ICT Policy is now being fine-tuned, said Madhu Sudan Padhi.
Giving hints on the proposed ICT Policy, Padhi said it would aim to attract 10 IT/ITES and five ESDP companies to the State by 2020.
The policy would facilitate investments in a big way so that direct employment opportunities could be provided to at least 60,000 professionals in the State in this sector, revealed Padhi.
Odisha has registered a positive growth in the IT sector with software exports touching $401 million, now registering a 20-per cent growth as compared to 2010-11, said Padhi.
Vishal Dev revealed that to ease off congestion in the capital city of Bhubaneswar the Government is planning to set up a south city which would accommodate 1, 50,000 plus population near the IT hub, Info Valley.
An area of 1,200 acres has been demarcated and an ultramodern township of the 21st century is planned with all sorts of amenities to meet the housing need of the IT Investment Region and Info Valley, said Dev.