Hyderabad to host world IT Congress in 2018

Hyderabad will host the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in the first half of 2018, NASSCOM announced here Friday.

Representatives of IT industry from 80 countries will take part in the biennial event to be organized by the World IT Services Alliance (WITSA).

Founded in 1978, WITSA is a leading consortium of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry association members from around the world. Its members represent more than 90 percent of the world ICT market.

National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), the apex body of Indian IT industry which is a member of WITSA, made the announcement after its chairman R. Chandrasekaran met Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The chief minister assured all assistance to organize the event. He said money would be no constraint. The state government, as part of its commitment, will pay $1 million to the global body by March this year.

NASSCOM vice chairman B.V.R. Mohan Reddy told reporters that this is the first time that India will be hosting the prestigious conference, which will discuss the 'future of enterprises'. He said Telangana government offered full support to organize the event.

State IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao said the government would invite world leaders and global IT majors to the conference.

He said the chief minister during his upcoming visit to the US and other countries will extend invitation to the leaders and also top IT honchos.

He said the state government would send a delegation to Brazil, which is hosting the next world Congress in 2016, to study the arrangements and other aspects.

The minister said Hyderabad would be proud to hold the prestigious event, which will be only the second IT World Congress to be held in Asia. He said the conference would provide an opportunity to promote Hyderabad as a global city and help the state attract more investments in ICT.

Kuala Lumpur had hosted the event in 2008 and the economic impact was investment of more than $2 billion and creation of 20,000 jobs, said state IT, Electronics and Communication Secretary Harpareet Singh.

He said the event will coincide with the ambitious target of the government to increase the software exports from Hyderabad to Rs.1 lakh crore per annum and to create more than one million additional jobs in next three years.

India's largest incubator facility with built up area of 300,000 square feet called T-Hub will also be ready in Hyderabad in three years, he added.