Chandigarh August 7:- Punjab would soon explore the IT potential of Tier II and III cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Bathinda as a long term strategy after witnessing IT sector’s impressive growth as a cluster in Mohali in recent years.
The Government of Punjab today reached this consensus after a high level meeting with top decision makers from the IT industry, who are in Chandigarh to participate in e-Revolution 2008. The breakfast meeting was hosted by the Government of Punjab and was attended by several key ministers and other senior officials from the Government. The meeting witnessed a very high level of participation from noted CEOs and regional heads of top IT companies, including organisations such as Dell, Infosys, QAI, Sopra, IDS, Annik Technology Services, and Mobera System, among others. Also present at the meeting was Mr. Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman, NASSCOM and Global Head, Zensar Technology.
To convey the Punjab leadership’s strong commitment to the cause of the IT sector, the meeting was attended by Minister for Industries, Mr. Manoranjan Kalia, Minister for IT, Sardar Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon and Minister of Finance, Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal, alongwith the Chief Secretary, Mr. R.I. Singh besides the presence of Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Secretary, Housing & Urban Development and Secretary, IT.
The industry leaders endorsed the State’s holistic strategy to create a favourable ecosystem for IT, which focuses on the four pillars of infrastructure, human resources, policy framework and investor relations. The formation of a core IT Vision Group for the State of Punjab was also discussed at the forum. NASSCOM Chairman, Mr. Ganesh Natarajan came out in strong support of such an initiative and said that NASSCOM will provide all necessary facilitation for the setting up of such a group which would meet at regular intervals and drive the agenda for growth in the region
The 11 member delegation from industry then participated in an open house discussion over breakfast, sharing their views on how they see Punjab emerging as a significant player on the national scene, with Mohali’s impressive growth as a cluster in recent years. They also supported the view that the Government of Punjab should explore the IT potential of Tier II and III cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Bathinda as a long term strategy.
The industry participants strongly approved the State’s pro-active initiatives to develop world class infrastructure and human resources in the State – the new IIT at Ropar, Knowledge City at Mohali and Convention Centre in Mohali, key among them. Recent policy initiatives which include the Super Mega Industrial Park Policy, Industrial Facilitation Act, deemed approval for projects and online submission of forms, were all believed to send out positive signals to the investor community.
The Industry Minister, Mr. Manoranjan Kalia, invited industry to come and explore various locations in Punjab, including Kapurthala which is being developed as a focal point, with an emphasis on IT. The IT Minister, Mr., Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon, also assured the industry leaders present in the room of extending whole hearted support from the State Government to ensure that the IT sector grows and prospers in Punjab. He requested leaders in the room to reach out regularly to the Government with their feedback and perspective. The meeting concluded with a strong message to industry from the Finance Minister, Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal. He said that "The Government of Punjab is keen to succeed in IT at any cost. We should also see that no child is left behind, and the benefit of IT industry trickles down to everybody in the State."
The purpose of the interaction was to initiate an informal discussion with leaders from the IT industry and obtain their perspective on the roadmap Punjab needs to chart out for the growth of the IT sector in the State. A key objective of the Government was also to set the course for a future dialogue with industry and co-opt them as a stakeholder in Punjab’s IT success.
The one hour conclave, started with a brief welcome note from the Chief Secretary, Mr. RI Singh and a presentation on "Punjab’s Strategic Roadmap for IT/ITeS Investment" by Ernst & Young’s Partner and National Government Advisory Head, Mr. Utkarsh Palnitkar.