STPI to set up IT parks in tier II cities in Tamil Nadu

To build parks in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi

With secondary cities gradually emerging as key locations for IT enabled services and BPO, the Software Technology Parks in India (STPI), Chennai, plans to create more IT infrastructure in Tier II cities in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 25 crore STPI Facilities Centre in Chennai, union minister of communications and information technology, Dayanidhi Maran said that STPI-Chennai was looking at building an IT park in Madurai. Salem and Tirunelveli are also potential areas where it would be building IT infrastructure.

STPI-Chennai has already created IT parks on the campuses of educational institutions in Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli and Thanjavur. It is negotiating for additional lands to create IT parks under public-private partnership in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchi.

Maran said that the Pondicherry government had provided 5 acres of land to STPI-Chennai to create IT infrastructure, besides providing an assistance of Rs 1.5 crore. He asked the Tamil Nadu government to be a facilitator for STPI initiatives by providing land.

The STPI Facilities Centre at Chennai, spread over 1.5 acres, will have a built-up space of about 100,000 sq ft. It will offer 100-seater plug-and-play facility for start-up companies. The centre, claimed to be the first of its kind being developed by STPI, is expected to be completed by December.

Over 50 per cent of the space will be devoted to budding entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) serving as incubation hubs.

Maran also said that the centre would provide support to STPI-Chennai's quality initiative programme. STPI-Chennai is working with Watts Humphrey Quality Institute, Chennai, to bring out thousands of high quality engineers every year through the Software Engineering Institute's training programme.

Lauding STPI's role in promoting IT industry, Kiran Karnik, chairman, Nasscom, said that STPI should continue to play its role in supporting the IT industry and nurturing new companies to undertake software development activities. As the most industry-friendly organisation, STPI should continue to work with the industry closely and be a partner for its initiatives, he added.