KOCHI: In a move that could boost Kerala’s IT sector, the Centre has given its financial and technical support to set up an electronic manufacturing park and an IT incubation centre for startups here.
The Central Government has agreed to provide Rs 50 crore for the electronic park, which will be located in Kakkanad, Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister for Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, told reporters here on Sunday. The state government will provide the remaining amount, the Union Minister said.
The Union Government is also providing assistance to the state government for setting up a 30,000 sq ft incubation centre for the startups in the IT sector, which is also located in Kakkanad, Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
A scheme to provide BPO jobs in smaller towns will help Kerala to provide 1,500 jobs in smaller towns, explaining the Modi government’s achievements in the last three years, he said. The number of seats or jobs in the scheme is based on the population of a state.
“In the last three years, Rs 5,900 crore worth FDI has come to India in the IT sector. When Modi government assumed power it was just over Rs 1,000 crore. The share of Kerala in IT sector FDI is very negligible. I urge the Kerala government to leverage this great opportunity,” the Union Minister said, adding that the state was also not utilising its potential in IT exports.
He said India’s IT exports is over $150 billion or `9.5 lakh crore, but exports from Kerala’s IT sector is only Rs 3,500-odd crore. “Kerala’s IT export figures are not good considering the opportunity and the potential,” he said.On the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Ravi Shankar Prasad said the DBT tailored with Aadhar was a proactive pro-poor initiative by the Narendra Modi government. “I urge the Kerala government to achieve financial inclusion through schemes tailored with Aadhar and DBT,” he said.