OCAC Tower to house IT MSMEs, start-ups

New edifice, built at cost of Rs 46 cr, boasts of being only building in state with uninterrupted power back up

To address the infrastructure need of the IT ( information technology) sector, the state-owned Odisha Computer Application Centre come up with a swanky structure, called OCAC Tower, with a super built-up area of 2.30 lakh square feet (sq ft) to house IT MSMEs planning to open their shops in the city.

Aimed at promoting the sector specific entrepreneurs, the new building will offer working space to IT start ups and IT/ITes and Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) MSME units.

The new edifice, built at a cost of Rs 46 crore, boasts of being the only building in the state with uninterrupted power back up.The centrally air conditioned seven storeyed building has a dedicated floor with a furnished state-of-the-art plug and play incubation facilities for 36 IT/ITes/ESDM startups. This apart, core open space is available to the IT/ITes/ESDM MSMEs.

“The occupants of the tower can avail the incentives as promised in the state’s new ICT policy-2014”, said Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra, state IT secretary.

The new policy promises reimbursement up to a maximum of 80 per cent of the rental as subsidy. The IT units will have to shell out Rs 55 per sq ft as rent.So far, 34 start up units and 19 small IT MSME units have been allotted space provisionally at the tower which is constructed by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) with funds provided by the OCAC, the technical directorate of the IT department.

“The IT sector in the state will take a leap in 2015. In 2014, we are readying up the infrastructure to promote the state as a favourable destination as the major IT hubs are getting saturated”, said Pratap Keshari Deb, state IT minister. The new policy aims to create an infrastructure of 60 lakh sq ft and develop 2000 acres of land bank by 2020.