TiE, SIPA to promote IT investments, incubation in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Ind-US Entrepreneurs (TiE) and Silicon Valley Indian Professionals Association (SIPA) has agreed to promote IT investments in Kerala from US. This was conveyed to a visiting Kerala delegation led by PK Kunhalikutty, Minister for IT. The delegation comprising of Kunhalikutty, Aruna Sundararajan, IT Secretary and NR Mahalingam, COO, Kerala IT Mission held detailed discussions with the senior management of TIE and SIPA. The TIE team was represented by Kanwal Rekhi, Sreedharan and Arun Joshi, according to an official statement.

TIE management, apart from promoting investments in Kerala, also agreed to extend assistance in providing venture capital and mentoring of start up entrepreneurs, setting up of innovation clusters for IIITMK and Technopark and open TiE chapter in Kerala immediately to achieve the above goals.

TIE and SIPA felt that the incubation facilities set up at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram and ITES Habitat, Kochi would enable entrepreneurs to start operations significant difference to their business. SIPA also offered to help entrepreneurs with various programs and using the incubation facilities at Technopark to front end some of these facilities. These associations will help Kerala to be a showcase and a role model for entrepreneurial development. The delegation also visited IBM and Hewlett-Packard facilities and held detailed discussions with these two leading IT majors with a view to forge eGovernance strategic alliance.

At IBM, the delegation was given a demonstration of some of the leading eGovernance initiatives of various countries and it was agreed that this visit will be actively followed by both parties to come to a meaningful conclusion and investment decision.



Kunhalikutty said, "I am excited about the quality of response that has been shown by the US business community. The visit would reap benefits for the State. This is only the beginning".

Kunhalikutty said that non-resident Keralites are not fully aware of the various progressive reforms that the Government is taking and such visits will help in bridging the gap between the perception and reality. He was confident that the Government's plan to position Kochi as an International communication hub would succeed. Kerala is being positioned as the ideal destination for BPO/ITES segments.