Amazon campus in Hyderabad soon, Google likely to follow

Leading companies Amazon and Google will have their campuses in Hyderabad in three years time, providing employment to nearly one lakh people, said IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah.

Speaking to mediapersons here Thursday, he said both the companies have already started business in Hyderabad and showed interest in expanding operations. However, legal tangles pertaining to the land allocated to them pushed them into second thoughts, he said.

“But, we were able to convince them that Hyderabad is the best option they have in the country. Legal problems pertaining to the land given to Amazon have been resolved and its project report has been submitted to APIIC, which had approved and forwarded it to GHMC officials. By December, 5,000 jobs would be created by the company,” he said.

Google, which had started its business operations in Hyderabad with 7,500 people and paid total amount for the land and permissions is yet to get possession of the land even after many years. The case is with the Supreme Court now. Meanwhile, the state government had approached the company and offered to provide alternative land.

“We are hopeful of a positive outcome. If everything goes well, Hyderabad will have the Google’s first campus outside USA,” Ponnala explained. Political movements and issues will not be an obstacle for IT development, he added.

The IT minister expressed happiness over Mee Seva completing three crore transactions in 44 months since its inception. “It is a record and now we are planning to increase the Mee Seva centres from 7,000 to 8,000 and the services from 177 to 300 plus by December,” he said. Mee Seva was praised at the recent meeting of the World Bank officials, Planning Commission members, and other states were suggested to emulate the programme, he added.

Ponnala was also happy that Friends2Support.com, a voluntary organisation whose mobile application launched by him in May, bagging World Summit Youth Award.