Over 40,000 employment generated in IT SME sector in Bengal

Kolkata, Apr 4 (UNI) The Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Information Technology (IT) have generated more than 40,000 employment in West Bengal alone during the past two years.

This was informed here today by state IT (Principal) Secretary G D Gautama while participting in an interactive sesssion with members of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI) here.

Referring to the stupendous growth of the Indian IT sector during the past few years when the amount of export crossed the Rs 77,500 crores mark, Dr Gautama said of them the contribution of the city-based IT units was to the tune of Rs 25,505 crores.

He said in tune with the increasing demand and the potential of growth of IT sector the state government had decided to set up the fifth Software Technology Park at Haldia by September this year and planned to set up eight more within the next three years.

The state government was also planning to set up a number of Knowledge Processing Outsourcing Centres in keeping with the increasing demand for global outsourcing through IT enabled services, Dr Gautama informed.

About the increasing role of the SMEs in the growth of IT, he also called upon the regional players to further upgrade and modernise themselves and create new job opportunities for sutainable growth.

Government was now more focussed on the development of IT and greater penetration of the SMEs across all segments would definitely attract more investment and create further opportunities, Dr Gautama observed.

Among others BNCCI President Natyantara Pal Chowdhury spoke on the occasion.

UNI ABA TJP/SRC1822