More IT jobs in Bengal next year

The information technology (IT) sector in West Bengal is expected to create jobs for approximately 25,000 people next year, marking the end of the recession.

“The sector is booming in West Bengal, with the established players making big strides in terms of expansion. It grew at 8 per cent in 2009-10 and the growth prospects are set to intensify in the future with most existing players like Cognizant (which now has 1,000 people on its Bantala campus, over and above its facility at Sector V), CapGemini and IBM implementing expansion plans,” said West Bengal IT minister Debesh Das, at the business-IT conclave organised by Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

In terms of growth, Bengal was one of the few states to have recorded positive growth figures in 2009-10, along with the Noida NCR region, which had a growth rate of 3 per cent, said Das. Although the base in Bengal was low.

Plagued by downturn, other states such as Karnatka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu saw negative growth figures. Last year, IT sector saw an investment figure of over Rs 3,000 crore. The overall investment in industry in Bengal in 2009-10 which stood at Rs 8493 crore, the minister said.

There have also been an augmentation of activities in terms of IT in tier-II cities like Durgapur and Siliguri. Substantial work has been completed in both the cities, with facilities already being operational.

Steps taken by the government to attract investment for facilitating growth in the sector included setting up of venture capital and hedge funds, providing training facilities to reduce attrition and ‘pay and play’ incubation centres.

Nasscom, in a recent report, had rated Kolkata as one of the seven leader cities in terms of IT growth, while Durgapur and Siliguri had been designated aspirants.