Kumaraswamy promises to set up integrated IT city in Hubli

Kumaraswamy promises to set up integrated IT city in Hubli
The Hindu.com
Staff Correspondent

`Government is committed to providing all help to firms investing in the twin cities'

# KIADB directed to set aside 300 acres of land in Hubli and Dharwad for the proposed IT city
# IT companies urged to invest in the twin cities

HUBLI: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that the State Government was thinking of establishing an integrated information technology (IT) city in Hubli depending on the response from entrepreneurs.

Speaking after inaugurating the information technology investors' meet here in which 95 IT companies participated, the Chief Minister said the Government was committed to providing all help to companies that came forward to invest in the twin cities.

Direction

He said that he had directed the officials of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to set aside 300 acres of land in Hubli and Dharwad (Rayapur, Mammigatti and Kelgeri) for the proposed integrated IT city.

The Chief Minister said, "It is my wish that Belgaum and Hubli-Dharwad cities should help in launching an information technology revolution in north Karnataka. My Government has laid the foundation for attracting investors to these cities."

Initiative

He referred to the initiative taken by the National Association for Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) in association with the Department of Technical Education in making graduates in north Karnataka "IT ready".

The initiative was the first of its kind in the country, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy also referred to leading companies such as Sun Microsystems and Mindtree which had come forward to adopt a few colleges in the district to spread IT skills. Hubli and Dharwad had a literacy rate of 72 per cent and had a large pool of educated youth who could be employed by IT companies, Mr. Kumaraswamy pointed out.

The Chief Minister said, "I am a member of a Hubli City Interest e-group and keep communicating regularly with other members. There are several young software engineers in the U.S. from this city who are willing to come back and open software industries and generate employment. Like non-resident Chinese who spearheaded the economic transformation in China, the young non-resident Indians also seem to be keen on taking on the leadership of change."

`Ideal destination'

Mr. Kumaraswamy urged IT entrepreneurs to invest in Hubli and Dharwad.

"It is an ideal destination for further expansion plans of IT companies located in other parts of the State and the country. I promise IT industry that our Government will provide all assistance to investors and entrepreneurs," the Chief Minister said.

Anup K. Pujari, Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, welcomed the gathering. Deputy Commissioner M.S. Srikar proposed a vote of thanks.