Consider some of basic elements, such as costs, transport, power, law and order, talent pool, etc. Lower cost competitiveness is the first attraction. The cost of living in Kolkata is the cheapest among the metro cities. This, in turn, reduces employee costs. Regarding transport, I think Kolkata now offers the best infrastructure among the metro cities. Barely 10 minutes after leaving the airport, one can reach the IT hub at Rajarhat. Within the next 20 minutes, one can be at the heart of the IT hub of Sector V in Salt Lake. And Sector V is very well connected to different parts of the city. Sector V is soon going to be connected to Howrah and Sealdah stations by the Metro Railway. Those working in these IT hubs are able to reach their homes in less than an hour of leaving their respective work places.

Next is the crucial infrastructure that is power. Unlike many other States, West Bengal is a power-surplus State.

Next, let’s look at the law and order scenario. If you go by the statistics available with the Crime Records Bureau – and this is available on the Internet as well – Kolkata is the safest among the metro cities in India. This is very important for the IT sector, where they have to work during the nights as well.

One of the crucial inputs required by the IT sector is the talent pool. Kolkata has the tradition of producing the best talent. All the Nobel laureates of India hail from Kolkata. The tradition in this regard is continuing. In research publications, the position of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is among the top in India. We also have reputed institutions such as Calcutta University, the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata, Jadavpur University, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur, Presidency College and St. Xavier’s College, among others.

Besides, the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research has started. A huge pool of quality talent and excellent English language skills among graduates in the State are all factors that are increasingly contributing to West Bengal’s emergence as the most attractive destination for investment in the IT sector in the country.

The State’s Department of Information Technology is playing a supportive and facilitative role in creating the right ambience for IT growth. Besides providing land and space to IT companies, the Department is focussed on facilitating the development of appropriate and adequate human resources. New education institutions are coming up in the State and tie-ups between industry and academia are also being encouraged. The State Government has set up finishing schools for graduating students. Several incentives are offered to IT companies. These include capital subsidy, interest subsidy, training subsidy and venture capital for companies that focus on innovation. The State Government has granted the IT sector the status of public utility service.

All these are eloquent testimony to the State Government’s proactive role in trying to harness the full potential of the State in the IT sector and make the ‘Vision 2010’ a reality.

Besides big names in the industry such as Wipro, Cognizant and others that are already there, which are the other big players that have evinced interest in setting up a presence in the State?

Apart from Wipro and Cognizant, the other big players in the State’s IT sector include Tata Consultancy Services, HSBC, Capgemini, IBM, Tech Mahindra, Siemens Information Systems, HCL Technologies, etc. Some other companies such as Rolta, Deloitte, HTMT, Wireless Innovation Platform and Videocon have plans to start operations in a big way. Many more are in the pipeline. For most of these companies that have their operations elsewhere as well, the rate of growth in Kolkata is among the highest.

What is the status on Infosys’ proposed foray into West Bengal ?

We are in constant touch with Infosys. It is expected that Infosys will be provided land at mutually agreed rates within a short period.

Do we have enough land in New Town Rajarhat and Nonadanga to give to IT companies that wish to set up operations there?

Forty-one small and medium companies have been allotted land by Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation at Rajarhat. TCS has also been provided land there. At Nonadanga, around 10 acres of land have been allocated to IT companies. Several renowned developers such as DLF, Unitech, etc. have also got land and will provide space for IT companies. There will be a huge addition of 20 million sq. ft of such built-up space in Kolkata within the next 2-3 years.

Land cost

A section of the IT industry feels that the cost of land in West Bengal is high compared with a few other States. Your comments please?

The proposition is partially true. There are some cogent reasons behind this proposition. West Bengal is home to eight per cent of the country’s population but has only three per cent of its land. Also, in West Bengal, the ratio of agricultural land to non-agricultural land is very high. The yield is considerably higher when compared with other States. Besides, being a border State, the pressure on land is much higher compared with several other States. The compensation paid by the State Government to farmers whose land is acquired is the highest in the country. The conducive investment climate in the State has begun to attract industries here. There is a growing demand for land from different kinds of industries that want to set up operations here. All these factors have contributed to land prices in West Bengal being a trifle higher compared with some other States.

Do you think the number of engineering colleges in the State is enough for generating the manpower pool that we require in the long run? Leaving aside IIT, Kharagpur, and the engineering colleges in Jadavpur and Shibpur, do you think the en gineering colleges under the West Bengal University of Technology are capable of generating engineers with skills that are appropriate for the IT industry?