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Mr Madhavan Nambiar

M. Ramesh

Bangalore, Feb. 18 The Union Government is keen on encouraging the setting up of ’information technology investment regions’ — zones of about 20-30 sq. km. These regions would be given the necessary “infrastructure thrust” in terms of power, water supply and logistics, so that they become centres of hi-tech manufacturing, the Union IT Secretary, Mr Madhavan Nambiar, said on Monday.

Mr Nambiar said that this initiative is a part of a broad-based hardware policy the Government was working on. He was speaking at the Vision Summit, the annual conference organised by the Indian Semiconductor Association. The year’s theme is on ‘Evolving Domestic Market: Growth Driver for the Indian Electronics Industry.’

Observing that the demand for electronic goods would grow to about $320 billion by 2020, Mr Nambiar said that India would have to incur a huge import bill, unless the domestic industry expands.

He said that the Government’s initiatives in e-governance itself would create a huge of demand for the industry.

The Union Government plans to spend $2 billion (Rs 8,000 crore) over the next two years. The project involves putting up 1.5 lakh km of cables and creating 1 lakh common service centres.

Mr Nambiar said that the Government’s semiconductor policy had attracted huge investments of Rs 40,000 crore. The policy, he said, turned out to be “too much of a good thing” because the Government has committed to put in equity investments into the projects.

“But it will help us build the manufacturing ecosystem.”

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