Bengal earmarks 100 acre for IT & electronic hardware

The West Bengal government has earmarked 100 acre near the new airport at Andal in Burdwan district for an IT electronic cluster.

"We want to promote the hardware sector for which we have earmarked 100 acre close to the new airport at Andal. We think it will be right place for an IT and electronic cluster," IT Minister Debesh Das told a visiting Chinese delegation at an interactive session with the Bharat Chamber of Commerce.

The state, he said, was concentrating on the IT and electronic hardware sector after discussions with several South East countries like Taiwan for collaboration.

"We will also try to harness solar power equipment as the country has set a target of 20,000 Mw of solar power by 2020 under the National Solar Mission," he said.

The new airport is being developed by Singapore-based Changi Airports International and Bengal Aerotropolis Projects.

Earlier, Das said the proposed India Design Centre was in the planning stage and hoped it would be finalised soon.

The venture capital fund would be increased from the present corpus of Rs 6 crore in the forthcoming state budget, the IT minister added.