KOCHI: The Infopark in Kochi, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in November, is gearing up with its second phase campus expansion, expected to be completed fully by 2022. The first phase development of the Phase II campus will be ready by 2016.
The first phase of Infopark that commenced in 2004 is nearly complete and currently employs over 30,000 people. The IT Park would employ another 20,000 people in the next couple of years as the construction activities of Brigade is in progress and the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) campus is almost nearing completion. The 1.3 million sqft of TCS will provide over 10,000 employment opportunities. The newly announced IT Park by Lulu also will generate employment opportunities for another 10,000 people.
Infopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair said the first phase would employ a total of 70,000 software/IT professionals on its full completion and the second phase is designed to employ another 80,000 people. “When the Infopark is fully operational it would provide jobs for a total of 1.5 lakh people,” Nair said.
A celebration is also planned to mark the 10th anniversary.
Infopark, which has a creche, a branch of the Amrita Hospital and a post office, would have an international school and a five-star hotel. A lease agreement was signed between the Infopark and Brigade Group for developing a hotel inside the park.
It is expected that Brigade would bring in well-known international brands. Infopark Second Phase would also have its own power station. A gas-fired power station of 220 KV would be built by German major Siemens. The power is expected to be commissioned by mid-2015. The Infopark also has an incinerator for waste treatment process.
Meanwhile, two other IT Parks — one in Koratty and another in Cherthala — are also attracting companies. Nine companies have taken up space in the Cherthala IT Park, which also has an anchor client. The total area of the park is 66 acres of which 60 acres has been notified as a sector specific Special Economic Zone by the Ministry of Commerce.
According to Nair, the Koratty IT Park is the most sought-after one as it is just 15 minutes away from the airport. Thirty companies have taken up space in the Koratty IT Park.