Kochi Infopark records 87 p.c jump in IT exports

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA: The Infopark in Kochi has scripted an impressive report card by nearly doubling its IT exports for the year 2008-09. Gross turnover of Infopark rose up to Rs 463 crore, a growth of 87 per cent year-on-year.

Infopark officials said that the total turnover for Infopark, including other ancillary units, touched an all-time high of around Rs 600 crore during the period. The figures are based on reports from Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

The numbers are seen as painting a picture of Kerala that is truly capitalizing on its advantages and transforming itself into a silicon coast through focused initiatives in IT infrastructure development, HR development and citizen e-enablement.

With more and more IT businesses moving to tier II towns this year due to economies of operation, Kerala IT witnessed many international IT brands move to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi for their excellent infrastructure, 24x7 power and data connectivity.

Infopark Kochi has already attracted leading world class companies namely US Technologies, BlueLabs Technology Solution, UCI Technologies, Arbitron, Zerone Consulting, NHR Outsourcing, SIT Mobile, Alcatel Lucent and Tata Tele Services.

“Kerala IT is all about making a positive difference to businesses and lives. What the work environment in Kerala offers is a growth opportunity for both employers and employees,” according to Ajay Kumar, Kerala's IT Secretary.

“We make an effort to seamlessly keep business operating round the clock by providing robust infrastructure and connectivity. Simultaneously, we strive to ensure that employees have a good work-life balance whether they work in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Calicut or any other town.”

Infopark Kochi was able to add 2500 IT professionals, taking the number to 9000 direct employees. In addition to this, 2008 financial results saw a significant push from the SEZ units and a planned increase in capital investment of 600 per cent year-on-year.

“Infopark is daring to experiment with right mix of domain expertise, skills and experience with Government support and policies. Within a short span of time since its inception in the year 2004, Infopark has a great record of attracting software and service companies,” said Siddhartha Bhattacharya, CEO, Infopark Kochi.

“Going forward Infopark aims at leveraging its current growth and driving a significant advantage to generate differentiated value for existing companies and investors,” he added.