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The Telangana government has announced a new ICT policy along with four other policies to support innovation, gaming and animation, rural tech centres and growth of electronics aimed at attracting investments while facilitating job creation.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday unveiled the Telangana ICT policy 2016 in the presence of Governor ESL Narasimhan and NR Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus, Infosys, leading IT sector players and captains of industry. As per the vision statement of the ICT policy, it is proposed to transform Telangana into the most preferred destination for any IT company which is planning a new facility and enable it to make it a global hub for technology entrepreneurship and innovation in the country.
The Chief Minister said, “Hyderabad as the Telangana’s crown jewel is already a magnet which attracts the best in the world. And our government intends to embellish its even further to standout as the most preferred destination for IT companies.”
After the new industrial policy was announced last year, 1,691 companies were accorded clearances and 883 of them have already gone into production. This would not have been possible but for the single window clearance the State promises within 15 days, he explained.
State IT Minister KT Rama Rao said, “The government accords highest priority to the ICT sector in the State covering not just Hyderabad but also in the Tier-II and Tier-III cities and other small towns. The State has identified three broad areas for big boost. These include data mining and analytics, gaming and animation and cyber security.” Telangana IT sector employs more than 10 lakh people directly and indirectly, with IT alone accounting for over 4 lakh jobs.
Electronics policy Under the electronics policy, Telangana seeks to attract $3 billion investment and create about 1.6 lakh jobs. BVR Mohan Reddy, Nasscom Chairman, said, “Telangana IT sector has logged exports of ₹68,000 crore in 2014-15 and given the current rate of growth, it is expected to touch exports of ₹1,00,000 crore within 24 months.” He advised IT firms to consider setting up bases in tier-II and -III towns where there is abundant talent.
Narayana Murthy said, “The State needs to benchmark against the best in the world like Silicon Valley, Cambridge Science Park, Beijing, Tokyo and work towards achieving the goal as the State deserves to be the best.”
He suggested to the government that every decision taken must be with open mind based on data and facts with speed.
NITI Aayog member VK Saraswat said, “The digital revolution is sweeping the world. It is estimated that for every 10 per cent digital penetration in the country, the GDP will go up by about 0.5-0.6 per cent. Identifying the importance of digital economy, the Modi Government has come out with a plan to invest about ₹1,13,000 crore.”
Highlighted the importance of boosting the indigenous manufacture of electronics, he said the demand for electronics is likely to go up from $100 billion now to $400 billion. The focus on indigenous manufacture was critical.
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