Expressing resolve to make Odisha a preferred IT destination, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced his government's aim to achieve a gross Information and Communication Technology (ICT) turnover of four billion US dollars and 60,000 direct jobs by 2020.
"A target has been set to achieve a gross ICT turnover of four billion US Dollars, direct employment of 60,000 IT professionals, attract ten leading IT/ITES and five leading ESDM companies to the state," Patnaik said inaugurating a business, technology and leadership conference here.
The state government also targets to create a built-up space of 6 million square feet and developed land bank of 2,000 acres by 2020, the chief minister said at 'INFOCOM - The Telegraph: Advantage Odisha 2015' meet.
He said the state government, which has brought out a new industry friendly ICT Policy-2014, strives to make Odisha the preferred IT destination for IT/ITES/ESDM companies by providing congenial environment, an investor friendly policy framework with attractive fiscal incentives and concessions.
Further, as per the ICT policy, every government department would now earmark at least two per cent of their annual plan budget for IT spending so as to provide services through electronic mode, Patnaik said.
To start with, the state government has decided to make the entire Bhubaneswar city WiFi enabled, the CM said, adding Odisha has been at the forefront of IT revolution in the country and growth of IT exports from the state is more than the national growth rate for last many years.
Stressing that Odisha is also one of the leading states in the field of e-governance, Patnaik said a number of e-governance initiatives have been taken up by various departments in the last decade.
The state government is also giving high thrust to incubation facility for entrepreneurs, he said, adding the focus would be not only on software exports but also on the product development in next few years under ESDM (Electronic System Design & Manufacturing) sector to achieve the goal of 'Make in India' programme.
"All possible steps to provide adequate infrastructure to develop an eco-system for IT sector are taken by state government including better air connectivity to Bhubaneswar to promote Odisha as the Gateway to Eastern India," Patnaik said.
Odisha's Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda, industry stalwarts like Naveen Jindal, Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Vineet Nayyar, Executive Vice Chairman of Tech Mahindra, R S Sangapure, Executive Director of PNB and Dr Achyuta Samanta, Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) graced the function.
