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The state's proposed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy aims to create 60,000 jobs and increase the export and domestic sales turnover of IT and related sectors to 15,000 crore by 2020.
"The draft policy envisages to attract top ten IT companies and five best Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) companies", said Madhusudan Padhee, state IT secretary.
IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services, Mahindra Satyam, Infosys, Wipro have been operating successfully in the state and contributing a major chunk to the IT exports from Odisha.
The draft policy, which is on its last leg of preparation, will have incentives for investors from both software and hardware industry.
The new policy aims to create an infrastructure of 60 lakh sq ft (square feet) and develop 2000 acres of land bank. It projects establishment of 800 IT units by 2020 .
"The thrust in the ICT policy will be on start-up units, incubation units, product developments, ESDM sector and employment generation", said Manas Ranjan Panda, Additional Director and Officer in-charge, Software Technological Park of India(STPI), Bhubaneswar and member of the 15 member team formed to finalise the policy.
The team is headed by IT secretary with Chairman-cum-Managing of Director of Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), Director of IIIT, Bhubaneswar, STPI and representatives from state finance and energy departments as members.
The committee also has representatives from industry bodies such as IT Association of Odisha, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)- Odisha and National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).
The panel has formed a sub-committee under BV Naidu, former director, STPI, to formulate an industry friendly policy.
In the meantime the state IT department has engaged the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier trade body representing the ESDM industry to prepare a road map for the development of ESDM sector in the state.
The panel is likely to take a final call on the draft policy soon, an official added.
