IT exports to cross $1-billion mark .

KOCHI: Kerala is expected to cross the $1-billion mark in information technology (IT) exports during the financial year 2010-11, Ajay Kumar, Principal Secretary, IT, said here on Tuesday.

Delivering the keynote address at the India ICT Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr. Kumar said the first half-year's trend showed that IT exports from Kerala would register a growth in excess of 60 per cent this year from the figure of last year.

“If the trend continues, we will be able to create two lakh direct employments in the IT sector in another five to six years compared to 40,000-45,000 people that the industry employs at present,” he said. He pointed out that in the past few years, the State had been growing by two to three times the national growth average of IT exports and now almost touched two per cent of the national IT export basket.

In Thiruvananthapuram, land was available for two major expansion plans – 100 acres for the expansion of Technopark and 450 acres for Technocity.

In Kochi, 150 acres near the Infopark Kochi campus was available, and in Kozhikode, 70 acres would be available in a park coming up.

Earlier, delivering the inaugural address, Fisheries and Registration Minister S. Sarma said the State's IT development was not based on any single project.

He said the government was prepared to extend all help to the IT industry without deviating from its policies.

Protecting the interests of the State's economy and the people was the fundamental policy of the government.

S. Mahalingam, executive director and chief financial officer, Tata Consultancy Services, and Kris Gopalakrishnan, managing director and chief executive officer of Infosys, were special invitees.

G. Vijayaraghavan, director of Sun Tec Business Solutions Private Limited and founder chief executive officer of Technopark, introduced the theme of the summit, “Changing Role of Indian IT Industry – Partnering for Transformation.”

P. Ganesh, chairman of CII Kerala State Council, welcomed the gathering. M.S.A. Kumar, managing director of AVT Products Private Ltd., proposed a vote of thanks.


Source : hindu.com