AP to unveil new ICT policy soon

The Andhra Pradesh government is working on a new information, communication and technology (ICT) policy to promote IT and allied industries. The existing policy expires on March 31.

The industry has already given its inputs. The draft document will be prepared in consultation with the finance department as it would be linked with incentives for the industry. It would later be circulated among the stakeholders for final discussions.

“We are working on the policy to make Andhra Pradesh the preferred IT destination,” said a senior official in the ICT department.

According to Brig Ravi, representing the Information Technology and Services Industry Association of Andhra Pradesh (ITsAP) — formerly Hyderabad Software Exporters Association (Hysea) — one of the stakeholders assisting the government in drafting the policy: “The industry, among others, has given a representation for promotion of small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship.”

It has also stressed on promoting animation and software products from big and small companies.

Software exports from the state are now pegged at Rs 32,000 crore and expected to touch Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years.

According to Ramesh Loganathan, managing director of Progress Software, the growth in the coming years would be from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Universities would have a greater say in training students while the industry would work with them for setting up and promoting incubation centres to nurture new ideas and foster entrepreneurship.

The present policy focused on promoting physical infrastructure, incubation centres to allow entrepreneurs to start operations in a plug-and-play mode, construction of IT towers, allotting of lands on a need-based model to mega IT projects, creation of product-specific IT, ITeS and hardware special economic zones (SEZs) in different locations.

It also exempted urban land ceiling for private landowners to develop IT parks on 25 acre and above on the city periphery and five acre and above in core city limits. The government also offered a 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty apart from giving a rebate on land cost to IT companies on clear government land.