Visakhapatnam to be IT capital of AP: Minister

IT Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said here on Tuesday that the government’s new IT policy would be announced in 10 days to attract large-scale investments.

Single window clearance for new units within four weeks on the lines of Gujarat and special thrust to make Visakhapatnam the IT capital of AP would be the government’s priority, he said after a brain-storming session on ‘Future of IT industry’ organised by Visakhapatnam zone of Confederation of Indian Industry here.

Mr. Reddy said the policy would grant deemed approved status to new ventures if the clearances were not given within four weeks. Post-bifurcation, Visakhapatnam was certain to become the IT capital because of its strategic location.

He said in addition to Visakhapatnam, IT hubs would be developed at Vijayawada, Kakinada, Tirupati and Anantapur and reiterated the government’s commitment to set up IT Investment Region in Visakhapatnam.

Earlier, he visited the Rushikonda IT Park along with Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao, advisor to government on IT J. Satyanarayana, Principal Secretary, Industries J.S.V. Prasad, Principal Secretary, IT, Sanjay Jaju and others.

He pointed out that IT turnover from Telangana, mainly Hyderabad stood at Rs. 55,000 crore as against Rs.1,700 crore from entire AP. “Bifurcation has thrown up several challenges, which we have to convert into opportunities. We are expecting special category State status and special package promised to us in the Reorganisation Act shortly,” he said.

Stating that stringent action would be initiated against entrepreneurs who took land for IT ventures and failed to fulfil employment norms, he said the government had received proposals from Wipro to create 7,000 jobs and Tech Mahindra 5,000 jobs in Visakhapatnam.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the government had received several new proposals including Rs.100-crore investment for R&D campus here by Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research.