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Karnataka may appoint an 'IT secretary'

Minister for Medium and Large Industries R V Deshpande announced this at a seminar on 'Information technology - challenges and strategies' organised by Telematics India.

This follows the formulation of an information technology policy by the state a few months ago. Deshpande said a task-force has been constituted to implement the policy. He said the policy would aim at increasing the state's earnings from software and hardware. An advisory board consisting of industrialists to look into the development of the IT industry is also in the offing.

He said exports from the Software Technology Park in Bangalore touched Rs 9 billion in 1996-97, up by 90 per cent over the previous year.

Bangalore accounts for about 53 per cent of the software exports in the country, he added. A World Bank survey revealed that worldwide, India was the first choice for outsourcing software services.

To maintain quality, around 41 companies have obtained ISO 9000 certification and some are in the process of obtaining the quality certification, he added.

He said the state government recognises the need to enhance the availability of human resources. "While Karnataka alone needs 10,000 software engineers, only 2,000 are available. We hope to bridge this gap by providing IT training in the state, for which an institute is being set up in Bangalore."

In 1996-97, the state government cleared through the single-window clearance system, nine software projects entailing an investment of Rs 1 billion with a potential to generate employment for over 4,300 people. In the last three years, the state has cleared 30 software projects with an investment of Rs 5 billion through the single-window clearance system, he added.

The International Technology Park Limited, coming up in Whitefield, Bangalore, will be officially inaugurated in October, he said.

- Compiled from the Indian media

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