The Hindu Business Line : Bengal plans to set up IT park in Kharagpur

Fair time
Compass 2006 inaugurated.
Proposed IT park to be located close to IIT, Kharagpur.
West Bengal keen to promote investment and activity in two core areas, VLSI and mobile technology.

Kolkata , Nov. 17

The West Bengal Government is planning to set up an IT Park in Kharagpur for manufacturers of high-end IT hardware and software companies that support the manufacture of such IT hardware, according to Dr Debesh Das, West Bengal's Minister for Information Technology.

The proposed IT Park is likely to be located close to the Indian Institute of Technology there so that the premier institute's resources can be leveraged. Inaugurating Compass 2006, eastern India's largest IT exhibition that is organised every year by the Computer Association of Eastern India (Compass), Dr Das said the growth of the IT sector would be impacted if adequate attention was not given to the hardware segment. West Bengal was keen to attract investments in the IT hardware segment and the State Government would provide all help and support to IT hardware companies that set up facilities here.

Dr Das said the State Government would dedicate a building in the Salt Lake Electronics Complex exclusively for software companies that are engaged in developing applications that support IT hardware manufacturers. The State Government was waiting for the Centre to announce a semiconductor policy following which it would announce its own stand in this regard. West Bengal was keen to promote investment and activity in two core areas, VLSI and mobile technology, he said.

More to be done

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director of the Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology, said many of the global names in contract IT hardware manufacturing were already present in India. The market was poised for growth and it could be propelled by the Government's e-governance initiatives, he said.

Mr Maninder Jain, Logitech's Director of South-East Asia, said the PC penetration in India was 17 per thousand people compared with 70 per thousand in China. "The growth potential is huge. People must be made aware and feel the need to possess a PC. The government and the private sector have a lot to do here," he said.

More than 100 stalls and 20 pavilions have been set up at the exhibition. Seventy-five participants are participating in Compass 2006, which is expected to generate business to the tune of Rs 150 crore, directly and by generating leads. Compass 2005 had generated business worth Rs 120 crore for its participants.

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