Brand Andhra Pradesh a success IT sector

Hyderabad, Feb 1 (UNI) ''Brand Andhra Pradesh: ''the Annapurna of India'', the country's destination state for IT investment, was proving to be successful, thanks to the proactive industry promotion and brand building initiatives of the state government helping it to register impressive growth in food and IT sector,'' State minister for Major Industries, Commerce and Export Promotion, J Geeta Reddy said today, Delivering the inaugural address at ''Brand Summit 2008'', the fourth edition of the two-day international Convention on Brand Building, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region here, she said the GSDP of the State has registered double digit growth in 2006-07.

The Minister said Hyderabad was already recognised as a major IT hub of India. Andhra Pradesh was the number one exporter of software, registering Rs 18,000 crore of IT exports last year. Through various developmental schemes, the government was taking IT benefits to rural India.

The state has 226 engineering colleges which has dedicated 30 per cent of their capacity to impart IT education, she said.

Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the destination for global investors in pharmaceuticals and biotech also. The state was the bulk drug capital of India and a pioneer in farm biotechnology, automotive manufacturing and tourism.

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