Microsoft may set up its centre in Andhra Pradesh and "the State Government is making all efforts to bring the IT major to the State to give a fillip to the sector", according to the State Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu.
He was speaking here on Thursday after inaugurating a cluster of eight small IT companies housed in the complex of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) at Seethammadhara in the city.
He said earlier in the united AP he was instrumental in bringing Microsoft centre to Hyderabad for promoting IT and he would do the same for AP now. "We have had discussions with the representatives of Microsoft and I am confident of a positive outcome," he said.
Referring to the IT cluster he had earlier inaugurated, the CM said the eight small companies would provide employment to 300 and they would work in different IT segments.
They would be given concessions in rentals by VUDA and "we have identified a total of 40 such IT companies, most of them set up by the non-resident Telugu people in the USA and they have agreed to set up shop in Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Tirupati. Most of them are likely to arrive here and we are hopeful of providing jobs to 2,000 once they start operating in a full-fledged manner."
He said that though the IT companies were small they were working in the field of cutting-edge technologies and "they would play a critical role in e-governance in the State. AP would be a trend-setter in the field''.
He said he had held talks with the representatives of Reliance Jio and the company had agreed to provide free wi-fi connectivity to all universities and major educational centres in the State. "We are taking all steps to build a knowledge society," he added.
Bhogapuram airport
He said the State Government was very keen on building the international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, 25 km fron the city, to improve air connectivity. "Once the Bhogapuram airport comes up, there is no looking back for this beautiful city. It will develop into one of the finest in the country," he said.