Infy unhappy over 'Karnataka's treatment'

By agencies   |   Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 19:30 IST
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BANGALORE: Infosys Technologies Ltd, Karnataka’s greatest pride after M Visveswariah, publicly declared unhappiness over the ‘treatment’ meted out to it by its home State and its consequent decision to expand outside the State wherever people ‘wanted them.’ The company’s CFO and board member, T V Mohandas Pai said, “The morale of IT industry in Bangalore is low. You can’t bash up people in public. People's sentiments are bad. I guess it will take sometime for people to feel wanted.” Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an event organized by the Andhra Pradesh Government to attract investments from Bangalore-based companies to Hyderabad. Asked if he thought Bangalore was losing out, he said he does not want to think that way, but felt it was India that was gaining. However, he said, “It is good for us to feel wanted because we have gone through very torrid times in Bangalore as people told us that we are not wanted and they see us as alien creatures here. It is good that we are wanted (in Hyderabad). Hyderabad wants the IT industry and I guess people will go where they are wanted.” Recently, the company declared major expansion plans in Hyderabad after its consistent efforts for several years to secure land in Bangalore failed. The company had said it would invest $272.72 million in Hyderabad, where the AP Government has promised about 450 acres of land for the company. Infosys decided to look outside Bangalore to expand after its land acquisition strategy was questioned by the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. The company had sought about 845 acres of land on Sarjapur Road for setting up software development centers and also residential complexes for its employees. However, ironically, the new Government in Karnataka headed by Deve Gowda's son recently cleared the company's land acquisition proposal.