MoU with STPI for Balasore centre today

This will be the fourth such centre in the state after Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur

The state government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) on Friday for setting up a STPI complex at Balasore, the economic hub of north Odisha.

STPI, an autonomous society under Union ministry of communication and information technology, was set up with a mandate to promote software exports from the country.

Balasore STPI centre is going to be the fourth such centre in the state after Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur.

For the Balasore centre, the state government was required to provide 10,000 square feet built up space , three acres of land and Rs 1 crore as  grant in aid as state’s contribution.

The state government has already allocated a sum of Rs 3 crore (Rs 1 crore as state’s contribution and Rs 2 crore for additional infrastructure) in the state’s annual budget for 2012-13.

Three acres of land was earmarked in Bampada industrial area in Balasore for the new STPI centre. The Union government, in 2010, had decided to set up a STPI centre at Balasore. It had then written to the state government to provide the required facilities.

Sources said, in Odisha over 100 IT firms are registered with STPI employing around 15,000 people. The new centre will help the state in achieving the ambitious target of 4 billion dollar IT turnover set in the state’s proposed ICT policy. Among others, the new policy also aims to create an infrastructure of 60 lakh sq ft (square feet) and develop 2,000 acres of land bank. It aims to generate direct employment for 60,000 professionals in 800 IT/ITes and ESDM units by 2020. It may be noted that exports by the IT units registered with the STPI stood at Rs 1,710 crore in 2012-13.