Karnataka IT industry seeks better infrastructure

BANGALORE, INDIA: The resurgent IT industry in Karnataka on Monday sought better physical and support infrastructure in Bangalore and other cities across the state for its rapid growth in the coming years.

"Support from the state government is crucial for the sustained growth of the industry. The government has to play a key role in providing better physical and support infrastructure for the industry to invest and expand in the state," Infosys chief executive S. Gopalakrishnan said at an official function here, where the revised information and communications technology (ICT) policy and an electronics hardware policy were released.

Asserting that the IT industry made huge investments in the city and the state over the years, Gopalakrishnan said a time-bound implementation plan was imperative to ensure pending and future infrastructure projects were executed without time and cost overruns.

"The state government should have a clear road map, identify milestones and have a mechanism in place to monitor the projects for their timely execution to ensure Bangalore remained the preferred investment destination in the ICT industry," Gopalakrishnan said in a keynote address at the unveiling of the state's revised ICT policy and the electronics hardware policy.

Noting that the IT industry from the city and the state was contributing over 30 percent to the country's annual software exports, Gopalakrishnan said the government should play its part in creating the ecosystem for the uniform growth of the industry in Bangalore and other cities.

"We have seen many ups and downs on the infrastructure front. The city (Bangalore) has become a victim of its success because its infrastructure growth did not keep pace with the growth of the industry and the population explosion," the global software major's co-chairman designate pointed out.

Admitting that the city had grown beyond anybody's imagination, the IT bellwether co-chairman designate hoped the government would address the infrastructure concerns of the industry and its workforce to ensure the country's tech hub did not lose out to other cities in attracting fresh investments from global and Indian firms.

Extending the industry's cooperation to the state government's twin policy to attract global investments in the knowledge sector and promote tier-I and tier-II cities in the state, Gopalakrishnan said in a competitive environment, global and Indian firms look for world class infrastructure, resources such as land, power, water, etc., and human capital to set up new operations or expand their existing ones.

"In addition to policies, incentives and speedy clearances, the government has to facilitate excellent office complexes, connectivity, transportation and a conducive environment for incubating start-ups in the emerging technology areas," he added.