Date:12/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/05/12/stories/2005051200881700.htm

Back CM woos IT cos to Vizag

Our Bureau

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, with the Managing Director of Satyam Computers, Mr B. Rama Raju, and others after laying the foundation for the Satyam Services Centre at Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. The Minister for Commercial Taxes, Mr Konathala Ramakrishna, is at left. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , May 11

THE State Government is making a concerted effort to attract major IT companies to Visakhapatnam and will take all necessary measures to provide them the requisite facilities, according to the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

He was speaking at Thotlakonda near here after laying the foundation stone for Satyam Technology Centre on Wednesday morning. Earlier, on Tuesday night, the Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone for Satyam Computers centre in the city on the old TB hospital site.

Satyam Computers has been allotted seven acres in the city for its centre and 50 acres at Thotlakonda for the technology centre.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that the Satyam Technology Centre would be completed in a year or so. The Managing Director of the company, Mr B. Rama Raju, assured the Chief Minister that the centre would be ready in eight months.

The Chief Minister said that sites had been allocated to Wipro as well as TCS on the old TB hospital site and, "We do hope they will set up the facilities here."

He said that companies in Hyderabad accounted for software exports worth Rs 8,300 crore, while companies in Vizag accounted for only Rs 70 crore per annum.

Development therefore was too lop-sided and Vizag would have to get its share of attention. Mr Reddy said Satyam Computers would invest Rs 150 crore here on its facilities and roughly 5,000 people would get jobs.

Mr Rama Raju said the tech centre at Thotlakonda would be a world-class one such as the one in Hyderabad. Infrastructure will have to be developed in Vizag to attract IT majors, he added.

Mr A.S. Murthy, Director (Human Resources) and senior Vice-president, said the centre would be developed in three phases.

Ms K. Ratna Prabha, officer on special duty for the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, also spoke.