KOCHI: Infopark Expansion, SmartCity and Start Up Village are efforts on the part of the government to regain the lost upper hand Kerala had in IT sector, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. He was delivering the inaugural address at the dedication of Infopark Phase II Campus at Kakkanad on Wednesday. “When Techno Park was established, it was the first of its kind facility in the country and Kerala had an upper hand in IT sector, but we could not maintain it owing to various reasons,” Chandy said. He also said that the state did not utilise its full potential in IT sector.
The Chief Minister said the start up policy for the state had been finalised in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. “There has been a great change in the attitude of the young generation. The government will do everything possible to facilitate young entrepreneurs,” Chandy added. Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty presided over. Fisheries and Ports Minister K Babu, PWD Minister V K Ibrahim Kunju, MLAs Benny Behanan and V P Sajeendran, Collector M G Rajamanickam, Infopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair, IT Principal Secretary P H Kurian, district panchayat president Eldose Kunnapally, office-bearers of various local bodies were present.
Spread in 160 acres near Infopark Phase I, Phase II will have amenities such as business convention centre, hotels, shopping complexes, commercial centres, recreation and entertainment centres. The Rs 2,500-crore phase II is aimed at creating eight million square ft futuristic work space for IT, ITeS companies and generating around 1 lakh job opportunities by 2020. Infopark had joined hands with leading IT companies to develop the Phase II.