WIS to set up R

Kolkata, Oct 18: After Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, IBM and HSBC, its the turn of Denmark-based wireless technology solutions provider Wireless Innovative Systems (WIS) to set up base in West Bengal.

WIS is planning to set up a research and development (R&D) centre in the state and executives from the company would visit the state IT department to discuss the modalities next week, IT Minister Devesh Das told UNI.

WIS specialises in developing software for the mobile phones, Mr Das said. "WIS has made up its mind to set up a R&D centre and the representatives will discuss the modalities in next week's meeting," IT secretary Siddharth said.

The centre is likely to come up at Rajarhat, the newly emerging IT hub after the Salt Lake Electronic Complex.

Meanwhile, West Bengal government is planning to set up a finishing school by December to provide updated training to engineers churned out from private engineering colleges so as to make them ready for the IT bandwagon in the state.

"We have already sought the help of IT majors like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), IBM, Wipro and Genpact for preparing the curriculum for offering effective training to the engineers," Mr Das said.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has also written to Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh seeking an branch of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in the state, he said.

The IT Minister said around 42,000-44,000 IT professionals are working in the IT sector now and in two years one lakh IT professionals would be employed in the sector.

"Around 1.32 crore square feet of IT space is being developed in the state and it will create around 1.30 lakh new employment for IT professionals in the coming years," he said.

With the setting up of power plants at Bakreshwar and Purulia, power would not be a problem for the IT companies in future, he said.

UNI