IT parks set to boom in Rampur industrial estate

The Rampur industrial estate in Warangal district is all set to boom in the coming days as the government is determined to promote information technology parks in tier-II cities in Andhra Pradesh.

The estate is under the control of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). The industrial estate, which has even been rechristened as APIIC Tech Park, is keen on inviting IT companies to set up their units there. Set up in an extent of 743 acres a decade ago, the estate is within 15 kilometres of Warangal.

After the Union government's decision to expand information technology in tier-II cities in the country, the Andhra Pradesh government identified Warangal, Kakinada, Nellore, Guntur, Tirupati and Vijayawada as the potential cities to house IT firms.

Encouraged by the proposal, four local entrepreneurs came forward to set up IT companies in the industrial estate. A retired forest officer, Ramaswamy, has acquired 20 acres of land for the proposed IBSS Information Technology Park in the estate and three more companies have approached the IT wing of the state government expressing their desire to establish their units.

Encouragement from the government too is not lacking to promote an IT park here as Warangal, considered education hub of the North Telangana with 50-odd engineering colleges, churns out numerous IT professionals.

Officials of the Industries department foresee spillover effects too if IT firms set up their shops in the industrial estate, which lost its lustre as one unit after another is being closed down. A majority of the units in the estate has almost become defunct prompting the authorities to attract IT firms to revive the activity in the estate. The situation is so grim that as many as 17 units have been closed in the past six years.

Most importantly, the promotion of IT park here will create job opportunities for IT professionals graduating from the institutions in Warangal, including the National Institute of Technology(NIT). If everything goes well, each IT firm could generate as many as 500 jobs. With estimated 20 companies planning to set up their units, Warangal could turn out to be greener pastures for the jobless.

District industries centre general manager M Lakshmaiah said the IT park proposal was receiving good response and the APIIC allocated 180 acres of the industrial estate land to the IT park. He said the 180 acres extent would be allocated to 18 companies and two companies already acquired land in the estate. The APIIC is allocating the land at a rate of Rs. 1 lakh per acre with the pre condition that the company provide employment opportunity to 1000 members in each unit.

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BOOM TIME

The industrial estate is keen on inviting IT companies to set up their units there

A retired forest officer has acquired 20 acres of land for the proposed IBSS IT Park in the estate and three more companies have approached the IT wing of the state government expressing their desire to establish their units

The promotion of the IT park here will create job opportunities for IT professionals graduating from the institutions in Warangal, including the NIT