50,000 jobs to be created in IT sector in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: The State government's primary focus is on creating 50,000 jobs in the IT sector in Visakhaptnam, Minister for Industries, Commerce and Information Technology Mekapati Goutham Reddy has said.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, the Minister said that there was a need to create adequate strength in the city which is all set to grow in leaps and bounds.

Elaborating about future plans, Goutham Reddy said the AP government was keen on creating one major Skill University, 26 colleges and four Colleges of Excellence. "Initially, we are going to focus on identifying the location of the university, sources of funding and curriculum design. Soon, ITIs and polytechnic institutions will also be upgraded as a part of the Nadu-Nedu programme," the Minister informed.

About Adani Group's data centre, the Minister maintained, "At present, they are on the lookout for relocation. For this to happen, they want to redo an assessment study. However, the data centre is essential at a time when a submarine cable is likely to be terminated in Vizag."

Giving clarity on the alleged rumour about Conduent moving away from the Millenium Towers, the Minister asked, "When the State is keen on bringing in IT companies, why would it ever drive away the existing ones from the city." He appealed to people not to pay heed to such baseless information.

In this rapidly evolving world, Goutham Reddy said, the disparity among the industries will be sorted out through a study followed by the submission of a report to the State government in six months.

Keeping the global market in view, the study will be done on half-a-dozen clusters. The exercise will aid in enabling global recognition for the investors, the Minister stated.

"In future, AP is going to be one of the major hubs for the investors. Similarly, apart from providing hand-holding to the MSMEs, efforts will also be taken to upgrade the existing MSMEs," the Minister added. Further, the Minister mentioned that the industrial incentives outstanding was about Rs 4,600 crore.

"Of which, a substantial amount will be cleared by the government. Commitments made in terms of incentive schemes should be fulfilled judiciously as it impacts the image of the State in the long run. However, the State's financial capabilities should be kept in mind while making such commitments. We want to attract mass investments in a strategic manner. The new policy may not weave any magic but it is sure to be simple, transparent and self-policing policy," the Minister assured.