IT companies to adopt colleges in Dharwad

IT companies to adopt colleges in Dharwad
The Times News Network
By R Raghavendra/TNN

Bangalore: Even as the state government is making a serious attempt to promote Hubli-Dharwad as a good Tier II location for IT and ITeS companies by conducting the IT investors meet during this weekend, NASSCOM is gearing up to get more from this event. In order to make graduates in North Karnataka 'IT-ready', the taskforce on IT Workforce Development within NASSCOM is ensuring that IT companies come forward and adopt a few colleges in Dharwad.
NASSCOM, along with the Department of Technical Education, government of Karnataka, is organising the first ever ITeS/IT Industry-Academia Meet in Dharwad on the same day when the IT investors meet would take place in Hubli. On this occasion, Sun Microsystems and MindTree Consulting have come forward to adopt a few colleges in order to equip them on industry requirements.
"We have identified several Tier II cities in India where such initiatives would make a huge difference. This is the first time it would take place in Karnataka. It is initiatives like these that will help us ensure that India would not have a talent crunch of 5 lakh people by 2010 as estimated by the NASSCOM-Mckinsey report,'' Kiran Karnik, president of NASSCOM told The Times of India.
Over the last few months the IT industry has made it known on various platforms that it is unimpressed with the quality of graduates coming out of colleges especially in Tier II towns. Lack of good soft skills, bad communication and problem solving skills and knowledge on algorithms are some of the common woes of the IT companies.
According to Prof K Basavaraju, director, Department of Technical Education, government of Karnataka: "Our graduate intake every year is 45,000 students, whereas the output is currently 28,000 students. This meet would help students understand the needs of the industry in today's context directly from the industry leaders.'' With a 72% literacy rate, Dharwad prides itself for being the centre of high quality education and has 16 engineering colleges beside two medical colleges.

NRIs have sought land for IT City: Shettar

Hubli: It is destination Hubli for the IT/ITeS sector in Karnataka now. The state government is open to the idea of setting up an integrated IT City depending on the response from entrepreneurs attending the IT Investors' Meet here on Saturday.
Revenue minister Jagdish Shettar said on Wednesday that some eight to 10 NRIs based in Manipal, who are engaged in software development for export, had approached him to explore the possibility for allotment of land in Hubli for the establishment of an IT City. Addressing a meet-the-press programme organised here by the Dharwad District Working Journalists' Association, he said if they form a consortium and identify a piece of land, KIADB will certainly help them out from the 400 acres already acquired by it. Shettar said that the NRIs are attending the investors' meet on Saturday. They will be shown the available KIADB land in Rayapur and Mammigatti on NH4 and Kelgeri near Dharwad.

Pune firm sets up unit in Hubli

Pune firm sets up unit in Hubli

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hubli: The IT Investors Meet received a shot in the arm with Neilsoft, a Pune-based engineering technology services provider, setting up a centre in Hubli IT Park on the eve of the event’s inauguration on Friday.
Neilsoft corporate marketing manager Prashant Chunduri said, “we saw a perfect combination of good engineering talent and infrastructure in Hubli to locate our first centre outside Pune.”
The company specialises in computer aided designing, manufacturing and software product engineering services and solutions. The Hubli centre starts with 20 engineers and is expected to grow to 100 seats in the next 18 months.
Meanwhile topnotch players, including Infosys, Wipro, TCS, MphasiS and MindTree, are among the 56 companies which have confirmed their participation in the event billed to showcase Hubli as an ideal Tier-II city for the IT/ITeS sector.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is slated to inaugurate the meet on Saturday morning in the presence of his deputy B S Yediyurappa, while NASSCOM president Kiran Karnik will deliver the keynote address.


A desktop PC shaped float welcomes delegates to the IT Investors’ Meet in Hubli on Friday.

‘Destination Hubli-Stay Ahead’ to attract investors

‘Destination Hubli-Stay Ahead’ to attract investors
The Newindpress.com
Saturday May 20 2006 11:57 IST

HUBLI: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will inaugurate ‘Destination Hubli- Stay ahead’, an ambitious IT investors meet, slated to be held here on May 20, to attract IT investment to North Karnataka in general and Hubli-Dharwad in particular. Dharwad district administration, IT Department, Software Technology Park of India, Keonics, Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, BIC Society and BVB College of Engineering and Technology are working in tandem to make this event a success.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Deputy Commissioner M.S. Srikar said as many as 45 IT companies have confirmed their participation in the investors meet and another 20-30 have shown keen interest.

‘‘We have done everything required to showcase Hubli’s potential for IT investment.

The district administration has identified three places in Hubli and Dharwad cities for establishing the IT City.

These places would be shown to the investors,’’ he added.

Representatives of major IT companies, including Infosys, IBM and NASSCOM are expected to participate in the day-long deliberations and take a decision regarding setting up of their units in this region.

Special invitee Kiran Karnik, Chief Executive Officer, NASSCOM, will deliver the keynote address.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, will be the chief guest. Primary Education and Law Ministers Basavaraj Horatti and S.R. Bommai, and HK Patil, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council will be the guests.

The inauguration, technical sessions and other programmes will be at Hotel Naveen at 11 am.

Member of Parliament Prahlad Joshi, Manjunath Kunnur, MLAs A.M. Hindasageri, Basavaraj Bommai, Veeranna Mattikatti, S.R. More, Jabbar Khan Honnali, S.I. Chikkanagoudar, M.S. Akki, Vinay Kulkarni, Mayor Hanumanthappa Betageri and Dharwad Zilla Panchayat president Geetha Anandgouda will be present.

Hassle-free stay for IT units comes for `Rs 10' rent

Hassle-free stay for IT units comes for `Rs 10' rent
The Newindpress.com
Saturday May 20 2006 00:00 IST

HUBLI: When CEOs of IT, ITES and BPO companies land in Hubli on Saturday to participate in a government-sponsored investors' meet, they might just find the region an ideal destination for expansion.

The government is only tempting the air further by offering facilities far superior than in Bangalore at invitation prices.

For instance, if an office space in upmarket Koramangala area in Bangalore costs anywhere between Rs 30-45 per Sq.Ft in monthly rents, the same is offered for Rs 10 at Hubli's newly developed IT park.

There is, however, a caveat. The offer is available only for first comers and restricted to 50,000 sq.ft of space. The next 15,000 sq.ft in the total built up area of 2.70 lakh sq.ft. Will come at Rs 15 per sq.ft in monthly rental. The rest will cost Rs 20 per sq.ft per month.

The State Government which is developing Hubli at a frenetic pace as part of its operation to decongest Bangalore is confident that the bristling commercial centre with its salubrious climate and availability of all critical needs - power, water and access - will emerge as a key tier-II IT destination in Karnataka.

Mckinsey report, after all, reckons Hubli as the next IT hub. Dharwad Deputy Commissioner M S Srikar said the IT park is suitable for small and medium companies.

Big companies may look for large areas of land, which, in any case, is available at affordable prices around the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad.

According to IT director Rakesh Singh, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) would also offer developed land in Rayapur, Mammigatti and Kelgeri areas in Dharwad district.

The Government is also open to the idea of a high-tech IT city on a 300-acre plot.

The region already hosts all major telecom service providers and is equipped with fibered network with high-speed internet, points out Rakesh Singh.

There are no infrastructure problems, and companies can tap skilled manpower that is locally available in abundance. There are about 180 colleges in Hubli-Dharwad region producing more than 17,000 graduates, he said.

Interestingly, about 80 colleges are already offering BPO-centric training to students.

The civic body of the twin cities too is geared up for meeting the infrastructure needs of investors.

Municipal Commissioner P Manivannan said all encroachments have been razed and wider roads are being relaid.

Being close to Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum and Goa, and connected by air, rail and road are big plusses Hubli has in its favour. And any possible congestion or traffic snarls are still decades away.