Hyderabad IT exports to cross Rs 25000 crore this year

Bangalore, Feb 13(UNI) Exports in the Information Technology sector in Hyderabad is expected to cross Rs 25,000 crore this year as against Rs 18,500 crore last year.

Disclosing this to newsmen here today, Andhra Pradesh Government Special Secretary (IT Promotion) M Gopikrishna said the Hyderabad city was booming in economy mainly because of the IT sector in the last few years. Added advantage was the state-of-the art international airport to be operationalised on March 16, he added.

He said the city was expected to provide three lakh direct employment and over 12 lakh indirect employment to the people by 2009. Stress would be laid on focussing tier two cities such as Visakapatnam, Tirupati, Kakinada and Warangal, he added saying that Andhra Pradesh was the most preferred IT destination in the country and was ranked Number one by NASSCOM among the ITES destinations.

He said the city had 40 IT Special Economic Zones and the state hoped to reach US Dollars Seven billion mark with a prospective growth of 50 per cent during the current financial year. The city had attracted an investment of over Rs 27,000 crore during last year, next to Gujarat.

He said emphasis was also laid on ensuring IT growth in tier two cities. Giving details he said two IT SEZ were coming up in 142 acres land in Visakapatnam and the city would be next major IT hub following Hyderabad. An IT park was coming up in the temple town of Tirupati besides an IT SEZ in 150 acres. Similar IT SeZs would also come up in places like Warangal, Kakinada and Cudappah, he added.

He said a three day IT Summit with main focus area as 'Empowering IT with world class infrastructure' would be held in Hyderabad from March 20 in which experts from top institutions, cutting edge technology companies and major investors along with infrastructure developers would participate. The summit would address widely on the IT infrastructure needs of large businesses and small to mid-sized enterprises, he added.

He said a two day conference sessions would also be held in conjunction with the Summit. Speakers of great eminence and industry would address the conference on wide variety of topics, he added.

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