Five IT parks by year-end
CHENNAI: Anticipating a surge in the Information Technology sector next year, the State government is readying five IT parks/ IT Special Economic Zones for launch between April and December.
“The biggest IT park in Tamil Nadu, the Sholinganallur IT park, will be inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin in April,” said Information Technology Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna, after an inspection of the park on Tuesday plastic duct morning. The IT park in Coimbatore would be ready by June and IT parks in Tirunelveli, Madurai and Tiruchi by the end of the year, she added.
The initial work on the Salem IT park plastic duct has commenced and designs for the building were being finalised. In Vellore, land identification was on for the IT park. In Hosur, the government was of the view that an integrated township would be best suited and preliminary work was on. The Sholinganallur IT/ITES SEZ is spread over 377 acres. “The creation of common infrastructure such as internal concrete roads, exclusive approach road, data cable duct, power cable duct, stormwater drainage and compound wall have been completed at a cost of Rs.38 crore. Installation of internal road lights, construction of Customs office and administrative office is in progress at an estimated cost of Rs.2.8 crore,” she said.
All the IT majors, including Wipro (80 acres), HCL and Satyam (50 acres), Sutherland (15 acres) and Cognizant (20 acres), find representation in the IT park. Wipro has ducts completed an 18-lakh sq.ft. building and has commenced operation with 11,000 employees.
Construction on 5-lakh sq.ft more is in progress.
HCL has constructed a 10-lakh sq.ft. building and started operations with 1,000 employees. Satyam has begun construction of 4.5-lakh sq.ft. building and 50 per cent of the work has been completed.
“This SEZ will provide direct employment to about one lakh wiring duct persons and indirect employment to double that number,” she said. “It will bring Rs.2,000-crore investment in the next 5 years.”
