IT could have bettered but for Centre's action says KTR

Begumpet: With the information technology exports from Telangana likely to grow at seven per cent to cross Rs 1.40 lakh crore during 2020-21, Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao on Sunday said the growth rate would have been much higher if the Centre had not scrapped the ITIR (Information Technology and Investment Region) project.

"Valuable time was lost as the Telangana Government kept on pursuing the ITIR Project without any response from the Union Government. Considering the importance of the IT sector and its contribution to the overall economy, a prompt response on such an important matter would have been appropriate. Lakhs of local youth have been deprived of employment due to the lackadaisical attitude of the Union Government," he wrote in a letter to the Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar.

The IT Minister urged the Centre to provide a scheme/initiative in the place of ITIR to ensure that cities like Hyderabad continue to flourish and provide employment to youngsters. He said despite numerous personal requests to the Prime Minister and Union IT Minister, the ITIR has been scrapped for reasons unknown.

"Telangana government had submitted Detailed Project Report and IT Cluster details but unfortunately neither ITIR has been taken forward nor has there been an alternate progressive policy. According to Nasscom, the national growth rate during the same period is estimated to be just 1.9 per cent," he added.

The Minister said he was delighted that projected Telangana IT export numbers show terrific growth, at a much higher rate than national average. He recalled that in 2013-14, the IT exports from then undivided Andhra Pradesh were only Rs 57,258 crore.

"The State recorded IT exports of Rs 1,28,807 crore, an increase of 17.93 per cent over 2018-19. The growth rate was more than double the national average of 8.09 per cent and more than two-and-a-half times the rest of the nation's average of 6.92 per cent," he said.

Hyderabad saw a healthy 8.7 million square feet of new office space creation during the year, despite the severe impact of Covid-19 on the economy. In terms of the share of sectoral occupiers, the information technology (IT/ITeS) sector including data centres dominated with a major share, followed by Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and manufacturing sectors, while other services and co-working sectors also contributed. We could attract several marquee Companies such as Amazon Web Services, Goldman Sachs, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to Telangana during the past one year, said the minister.

The minister further said that government was promoting emerging technologies like AI, Data Analytics, IOT, cyber security, Digital entertainment technologies etc. With the proactive role of the government many global and domestic IT companies are eager to bring their technology development centres to Hyderabad.

He said that Telangana has the most comprehensive innovation ecosystem in the country and the state has achieved this by setting up a series of organizations like Telangana State Innovation Cell, T-Hub, We-Hub, T-Works, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge.

Rao said that cities like Hyderabad were the economic engines that contributed immensely to country's economy. It is therefore important that such cities should be rewarded by way of new policy initiatives and incentives.

The youth of Telangana are eagerly waiting for new employment opportunities that could be created with the support of the Union Government in the IT Sector.

"I make an earnest appeal on their behalf to use your good offices to announce an initiative on the lines of ITIR," said Rao.