Friday, April 4, 2008

POLICY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT REGIONS

CCEA has approved, today, a plan for "Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR)" on the line of one earlier announced for "Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR"). These are plans for Mega Industrial regions and will entail huge Basic Infrastructure and Institutional Infrastructures (like IIIT -Hardware, IIIT-Software, CDAC and similar other institutions Offices and even core presence of public sector behemoths like BSNL etc) building on part of central government and CPSE's.

Brief outline of the plan approved for the same is as attached below:

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=37077

13:7 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval to the proposal to create Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIRs). These ITIRs would be endowed with excellent infrastructure and supported through investor-friendly policies. ITIRs were conceptualized keeping in view the need to boost the growth of both IT/ITES and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing (EHM) Units.These regions would become major magnets for investment creating employment opportunities and economic growth in the area. Simultaneously, it will reduce the pressure on existing urban centers by enabling growth of new townships and dispersal of industry. The regions would be a combination of IT/ITES and Electronics Hardware Manufacturing Units; Public uitilities, residential area, social infrastructure and administrative services. Such regions could include new integrated townships, SEZs, industrial parks etc. In the ITIR, there would be a clear delineation between the IT/ITES areas and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing areas. The ITIRs would generate direct and indirect employment during the construction and operational phases. Each ITIR is expected to be a specificlly notified investment region with minimum area of 40 sq.kms. planned for IT/ITES and EHM Units. The minimum processing area will be 40% of the total area of the ITIR. The ITIRs will be developed in a phased manner. The State Government would ensure that all physical infrastructure and utilities within its jurisdiction (power, water, roads, transportation, sewerage and effluent treatment facilities) are provided. The Central Government will facilitate development of National Highways, Airport and Rail links to the ITIRs. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) route is advocated for the development of ITIRs. State Government will select the developers/co-developers through a transparent process. ***RCJ/HS/LV