THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is the first digitised state in the country and the state has become a nerve centre of digital innovations worldwide, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was inaugurating the Nissan's digital hub facility at Technopark here on Monday.
"Our state has a rich talent pool and investments like Nissan would help make our state a hub of abundant resource in the field of technology. On the day of World Human Rights Day, we can proudly say that Kerala is the first state in the country to declare internet access as a human right," he said.
Pinarayi also pointed out that with the Nissan's arrival, the IT industry in the state has reached the next level.
"We will do our best to ensure Kerala proves to be Nissan’s second home after Japan.
Besides, the centre at Thiruvananthapuram is the one centre in Asia and Europe which is very exceptional. Our state will also give special focus on improving the IT infrastructure," he said.
Union Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam said the collective efforts of people here without a political intention made Nissan think Thiruvananthapuram as its final choice of
investment. He also emphasised on the need to support common developmental goals of the state.
“The Central Government is keen and proactive in supporting investments in the technology sector and that has contributed to Nissan’s decision to set up their first global digital hub in India," he said.
Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India, said, “Japan-India relations have never been as strong as they are today based on the trust between our two prime ministers. During Prime Minister
Modi's visit to Japan in October, both governments agreed on a digital partnership and the cooperation in the field of IT. I deeply welcome Nissan’s establishment of Digital Hub in Kerala to take advantage of India's high-level IT talents. I hope that this partnership helps to drive forward the future of innovation, technology collaboration and talent sharing between our two great nations.”
Shashi Tharoor MP said Nissan would be a trailblazer and pathfinder as well to attract more companies to Thiruvananthapuram.
"As we know, many companies like Tech Mahindra, Fujitsu are also coming to Technopark following the Nissan's investment. Unlike crowded cities, Thiruvananthapuram could be a place which could
give an ambience of less traffic, good roads and social infrastructure. I am happy that the auto giant Nissan decided to set up their first global digital hub in my constituency. I am equally happy about the fact that I could play an early and useful role in convincing the Nissan management about the advantages Thiruvananthapuram offers," Tharoor said.
According to Tony Thomas, Chief Information Officer, Nissan, the hub in Thiruvananthapuram would serve as an important engine to drive Nissan’s global digital transformation. "It is a major step for
Nissan. This facility will house 50 per cent of Nissan's worldwide digital workforce," Thomas said.
The state-of-the-art facility located in Yamuna building at Technopark phase-III in Thiruvananthapuram will be the first of its kind in a number of software and information technology development
centres in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America. These centres will drive digital transformation for Nissan’s business by placing digital technology at the heart of key operations and services.