Andhra Pradesh is trying to focus on certain niche areas in the IT sector and the government has drawn up ambitious plans to develop Visakhapatnam as the main centre and also to promote IT at places such as Tirupati and Hindupur, according to IT Adviser to the State government JA Chowdary.

A key figure in the promotion of the IT sector in Hyderabad in the united AP, he has been appointed by the AP government to develop the sector in the State after bifurcation.

‘Challenging scene’ In an interview here recently, Chowdary said he had earlier taken part in the development of the sector in Hyderabad. “But it has to be done now in more trying and challenging circumstances in the new AP. We have to attract the IT companies, generate jobs and create the right kind of ecosystem for start-ups.”

He said the image of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as a tech-savvy one would be of immense help in attracting the US-based IT companies to the State. The AP government has also appointed Veena Gundavalli, an IT entrepreneur based in the Silicon Valley, as a special representative of the State for the purpose.

Chowdary said there were several entrepreneurs from the State working in the sector in the US and their help would be enlisted. Besides, the focus would also be on attracting the US companies, mid-sized ones and the smaller ones, to the State.

Emerging areas He said there were many emerging areas in the IT sector and “we want to bring in the most advanced technologies in the building of the capital or the smart cities or in other matters.”

He said a start-up accelerator was coming up here with the assistance of SAP and a major IT tower was already under construction.

“There were already some IT companies here and if a few more big companies arrive there would be a big boost to the brand image of Vizag as an IT destination. That would be our endeavour,” he added.

sarma.rs.thehindu.co.in

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