Shillong, Feb 25 (PTI) The Meghalaya government is betting big on its tech parks to turn the state into the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the northeast region, wooing top IT companies by ramping up infrastructure network and facilitating ease of doing business, according to senior officials.
The Shillong Tech Park Phase-I at the New Shillong Township is “full to its capacity”, generating employment for over 1,200 youths in various IT firms and some local companies, they said.
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Conceptualised in 2018, the Rs 60-crore Phase-I of the project with a capacity to host 1,200 companies, at Mawdiangdiang, started operations in October 2022.
“The successful operation of this pilot project depends on two things – robust internet connectivity and reliable backup providers. The state government is making use of the Powergrid Teleservices Ltd, backed up by BSNL, instilling confidence in companies to set up operations here,” Pravin Bakshi, IT Commissioner and Secretary, told PTI.
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The IT park features one lakh square feet of super built-up area with common facilities, including a 100-seater auditorium, skilling centres and conference rooms, and plug-and-play seats, the official said.
The remaining area is provided as “raw space for companies to prepare their own working space”.
He said the Meghalaya government has already started construction of two more buildings as part of extension of the Shillong Tech Park.
“Phase-II of the tech park at Mawdiangdiang and another one at Tura are expected to provide employment to over 4,000 IT-trained youths, when completed by the end of 2025,” the official said.
Bakshi said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is supervising the progress of the work to ensure that glitches are reduced to a minimum.
“We are moving in the right direction to become the next ‘Silicon Valley’ and the best in the eastern region. Companies are flocking to our beautiful state. Apart from having the perfect climatic conditions, we are trying our best to provide the best facilities to these companies,” the CM told PTI.
The Phase-II of the project, entailing a cost of around Rs 114 crore, will have a super-built area of 1.8 lakh square feet, providing “world-class infrastructure”, another official said.
The next phase of the Shillong Tech Park will have a capacity of 3,000-plus companies, while the Rs 127-crore IT park at Tura will feature a capacity of 1,000-plus, he said.
“The IT department is making its presence felt as the state is gearing up to the targeted USD 10 billion economy, doubling the GSDP to around Rs 80,000 crore, by 2027-28,” he said.
Meghalaya boasts of having 70 per cent of its population below the age of 35 years, and a number of established premier educational institutions in the state. The youths are an attractive talent pool ready to be tapped by multinational companies, the official asserted.
“An additional advantage for most of the youths here is that they are fluent in English, a great demand by overseas clients in the IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) industry,” he added.
Besides, the Shillong Tech Park will also host a ‘Remote Pilot Training Organisation’, which will provide training to local youths for acquiring drone operator licenses.
“It aims to train skilled drone operators who can work on different projects and create opportunities for self-employment,” the official said.
A number of companies, including a US-based tech firm, that took up space last week at the Shillong Tech Park, are looking at immediately hiring 100 software and accounting professionals in the next three months, and will double that number by the year-end, he said.
“This will provide immense opportunities for fresh graduates as well as experienced professionals,” the official added.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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India News | Meghalaya Moving in Right Direction to Be ‘Silicon Valley' of Northeast: Officials – LatestLY
