Investors shy away from IT Park

Investors shy away from IT Park

TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

21 Nov, 2006 2256hrs IST

HUBLI: The government's initiatives to take information technology (IT) to Tier-II cities may well seem halfhearted if one goes by the fate of the state-of-the-art IT Park here. There are virtually no takers for more than 2 lakh sqft of space ready for occupation.

The Hubli IT Park, developed at a cost of Rs 45 crore, is managed by Keonics on behalf of the Software Technology Parks of India and attempts to sell the idea to potential IT/ITeS investors have come to naught. Sources attribute this to lack of imaginative marketing strategy. While inaugurating the IT Investors' Meet here on May 20, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced a conditional offer to attract new investors. The package envisaged competitive rates comparable with neighbouring states.

The offer was valid for a period of six moths, which lapsed earlier this week without attracting a single new investor. Neilsoft, a Pune-based engineering software solutions firm, had set up base here a day before the investors' meet.

Sources said what worked against attracting potential start-up ventures was the condition that concession would be given to firms which take a minimum of 10,000 sqft of space. Not many new ventures need that kind of space.

Keonics deputy manager H Devanand said that many firms, including the BPO arm of ICICI, made inquiries about the facilities available here, but no deal has been struck so far since the package was announced.

Meanwhile, certain other investors like Bangalore based Sankalp Semiconductors, who need limited space to expand to this Tier-II city, have set up their development centre on the BVB Engineering College campus.

It is learnt that both Neilsoft and Sankalp Semiconductors are satisfied with their decision to set up base in Hubli. Both companies have plans to expand their capacities here in the near future.

According to sources, the state government is learnt to have put its final seal of approval on HDMC's proposal to allot 25 acres of its land in Rayapur to five IT/ITeS companies. Another 25 acres is also on offer to some other IT companies in the queue.

Yeddi lays stone for mini Vidhan Soudha

Yeddi lays stone for mini Vidhan Soudha
Newindpress.com

Sunday November 19 2006 11:01 IST

HUBLI: Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa laid foundation stone to the mini Vidhan Soudha here on Saturday.

Speaking after performing bhoomi pooja to mark the beginning of the construction work of mini Vidhana Soudha, Yediyurappa asked the Karnataka Housing Board officers to complete the construction work of Soudha at a cost of Rs 6 crore within a year.

He said that government would earmark funds in the budget to hold zilla utsavs in each district every year. Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar said that he was pressuring the State Government since 1994 to construct a mini Soudha in Hubli, and it was JD (S)-BJP government which strived to meet the long-cherished dream of the residents.

Hubli-Dharwad One: For the convenience of citizens, Hubli-Dharwad One tele-centre would be set up in twin cities on par with Bangalore-One within a month. It would benefit citizens to pay various bills under one roof, he said.

Shettar said the government bought 5.74 lakh quintals of onion under the minimum support price scheme and the government had spent Rs 30 crore on the scheme so far. A meeting chaired by Tourism and Airport Infrastructure Minister B Sriramulu, would be convened next month here, to discuss the measures to be taken for Hubli airport upgradation, he added.

MP Prahlad Joshi, MLA Chikkanagoudar, M S Srikar, Deputy Commissioner and others were present on the occasion.

‘Shettar misleading people’

‘Shettar misleading people’
Newindpress.com

Friday November 17 2006 10:29 IST

HUBLI: Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar is misleading the people of Hubli-Dharwad stating that the inclusion of twin cities under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renovation Mission was a closed chapter, said president, JNNURM and Kalasa-Banduri Project Implementation Action Committee, Anilkumar Patil.

Patil told reporters here on Thursday that Shettar had never shown interest to bring pressure on the Centre seeking the inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under the programme.

Stating categorically that the Action Committee led by himself was not affiliated to any political party and was a sheer non-political entity, Patil said that Shettar and MP Prahlad Joshi had held former Chief Minister Dharam Singh responsible on many occasions for non-inclusion of twin cities under the Mission.

In reality, it was Dharam Singh who first given preference for Hubli-Dharwad under the scheme only after Mysore, Gulbarga and Hassan.

But, it was Shettar, who remained inactive despite being a minister when it was learnt that twin cities were dropped out of the scheme, he said.

He said that he was informed by Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajashekharan that twin cities have not been dropped out of JNNURM permanently, and the proposal was under consideration of union ministry of urban development as inclusion of more cities under the scheme required some relaxation of policy matters.

Some politicians are trying making ‘scapegoat’ by taking out malicious propaganda, alleged Patil stating that he would take a delegation to Union Urban Minister Jaipal Reddy in New Delhi seeking inclusion of the twin cities under the Mission.

Kingfisher's Hubli-Bangalore flight soon

Kingfisher's Hubli-Bangalore flight soon
Source : Moneycontrol.com

2006-11-14 08:50




(photo source:flykingfisher.com)

Hubli: Kingfisher Airlines will start daily air services between Hubli and Bangalore by the month end, the Chairman of Kinghfisher Airlines, Mr Vijay Mallya, has said.

He was speaking to presspersons during a brief stopover at Hubli Airport on his way to Mumbai. Mr Mallya said the air services between Hubli and Bangalore would be twice in a day - one in morning and another in the evening. Businessmen and executives need not wait or stay for another day to catch the next flight, he said.

He said the airlines would also be starting daily flight between Bangalore and New Delhi by the month end. On the airfare, he said it would be proportionate with the quality of service provided by the airlines.

Mr Mallya said the company wants to capitalise on the tourism potential that North Karnataka has and is contemplating on starting air services to tourist centres in the region.

He also said his company is keen on restarting the Mysore Airport and is even ready to invest for the purpose. He said he would be discussing the same with the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel.


Taken from Business Line