MP Global Investors Summit: Eye on data centres, rural BPO and defence sectors

Madhya Pradesh wants to encourage companies to set up small data centre and invite defence electronics equipment manufacturers.Hariranjan Rao, information technology secretary, told Business Standard the state government will focus on making the state attractive for these sectors.

A Sivathanu Pillai, known as the father of the Brahmos missile, will guide the state. "These will be created as data centre clusters. The concept of small data centres has not yet arrived in India. We will discuss with private investors if they can set up small data centres," said Rao.

The state is also said to have initiated talks to set up defence electronics equipment manufacturing and printed circuit board manufacturing clusters. "Defence electronics is another emerging area where Madhya Pradesh will see investors," Rao said.

The move will find resonance with the Digital India concept floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Madhya Pradesh now has a data centre that harbours servers of various state government departments.

The state is also looking at small and big investors in the rural business process outsourcing vertical.