Orissa woos software developers with quality infrastructure

Monday, 17 February 2003, 20:30 IST
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BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa government is trying to attract software developers to the state by promising high-quality infrastructure. The Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has built a swanky corporate hub here to facilitate software developers, information enabled service providers, and electronics and communications companies, IDCO managing director Asit Tripathy said. The state-run IDCO was set up in 1981 to create infrastructure to promote industries, trade and commerce. It is the nodal agency for providing industrial infrastructure in the state. Named Fortune Towers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the corporate hub Friday. Around 40 percent of the space in the tower has already been occupied. "The remaining space would be expected to be occupied within the next two years," Tripathy said. The Fortune Towers also boasts of a dedicated power feeder, teleconferencing facility, and ATM and banking facilities. Although IDCO had earlier built a 205-acre IT complex called Info City at Chandaka, 15 km from here, Tripathy contended that the Fortune Towers would be more advanced and better equipped. "We are aggressively marketing Orissa as the most attractive destination for IT companies in eastern India by providing them world-class infrastructure," he said. "As a result of which a large number of companies have started considering Orissa as suitable for their operations." Patnaik has appointed a committee to suggest ways of promoting the use of IT in Orissa. Top Indian IT gurus, including N.R. Narayana Murthy, B. Ramalinga Raju and F.C. Kohli, are among its members. Orissa has introduced IT in all undergraduate colleges as an optional subject. "The main obstacle before IT companies interested in setting up units in Orissa is non-availability of one window system," an official of a leading software company told IANS. "This is the reason why the number of software companies in Orissa has remained static at around 150 for two years."
Source: IANS
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