Kerala signs pact with Dubai TECOM for Smart City

Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (UNI) Kerala today signed an agreement with the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (TECOM) to set up the Smart City Information Technology Park at Kochi, which is envisaged to make the state an IT hub.

Kerala Chief Secretary Lizzie Jacob and Dubai royal family member and Executive Chairman of TECOM Ahmad Bin Bayat, signed the pact for the Rs 1,500 crore Smart City Project in the presence of Chief Minister V S Achutanandan.

After signing the pact, Mr Achutanandan said Smart City would play a key role in tapping Kerala's enormous potential for the development of industries like ICT and media. ''The project will accelerate the process of IT development in the State, besides, augmenting inflow of investments,'' he said.

Stating that the negotiations were not that smooth from the beginning, Mr Achutanandan said it took almost a year to reach the final agreement, which had seen many ups and downs.

He also asked TECOM to ensure that Smart City remained eco-friendly. He further said the project would usher in a new era of mutually beneficial economic relations between the people of India, especially Kerala, and the people of West Asia.

Mr Byat said the Smart City would be developed into a hub for excellence in Knowledge based industries. '' The agreement we have reached is a win-win situation for both us and the Kerala Government. It is a milestone deal filled with great promise,'' he said.

Stressing that Kochi would be made a 'location of choice', Mr Byat said ''Smart City will be a place for some of the best companies from India and across the world to explore partnerships and collaborate,'' he said.

MORE UNI