Business - TN IT Policy to provide 3 million jobs by 2011

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi released the new Information Communication Technology policy for Tamil Nadu that provides a slew of concessions to the industry and envisages creation of about 3 million jobs by 2011.
The policy aims at promoting “socially inclusive growth” and achieving a share of 25 per cent of Indian ICT production by 2011.
Vision 2011 envisages creation of opportunities to employ 0.8 million directly in IT firms and another 2.2 million indirectly. ICT services and ICT manufacturing sectors are expected to employ 0.7 million and 0.1 million people respectively.
The policy lays stress on the right mix of development to enable the State to stay in the lead in south Asia. For this, an elaborate plan to nurture talent has been drawn up. This includes promoting centres of excellence, setting up finishing schools and developing soft skills, allowing industry representatives to have a say in the syllabus committee and ensuring that all high and higher secondary schools in the State have broadband internet connectivity by 2011.
The government plans to boost research and development by setting up higher institutes of learning, encouraging industry-academia collaboration in R & D, instituting scholarships to take up research, setting up labs in the public-private partnership mode and research parks.
The policy says that IT-ITES facilities set up in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts with an investment of over Rs.250 crore in a period of three years would be eligible for a structured package of incentives. In the case of other districts, the minimum investment will be Rs.150 crore. All locations in the State apart from the three districts will be treated as Tier 2/Tier 3 locations for availing the incentives.
The policy also announced capital subsidy and electricity tax exemption for a specific period depending on the investment; exemptions in stamp duty and registration fee of up to 50 per cent and relaxation in FSI to the extent of 100 per cent for IT-ITES parks. The government will also formulate a comprehensive data security policy.
The Chief Minister handed over the first copy of the ICT policy to A. Raja, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology. IT secretary C. Chandramouli explained the salient features of the policy. Members of the second task force including IIT-Madras Director M.S. Ananth, Anna University Vice-Chancellor Mannar Jawahar, M. Ramaswami and C.K.Raganathan from the CII, Chief Secretary L.K.Tripathy, Finance Secretary K.Gnanadesikan and Industries Secretary M.F.Farooqui attended the meeting.