Ker to increase IT parks' space from 1.3 to 2.3 cr sq ft

: Plans are afoot to increase IT parks' space in Kerala from 1.3 crore square feet to 2.3 crore square feet, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said here Friday.

The massive expansion in the IT parks space would enable creation of 2.5 lakh direct jobs, besides increasing software exports and attracting investors to the state, he said.

"As a priority sector, the government is placing emphasis on creating a necessary social milieu and basic infrastructure in the IT sector, aiming at increasing software export and attract investors," Vijayan said.

Speaking after inaugurating work on the Rs 1,500-crore Taurus Downtown Trivandrum project at Technopark, he said the first phase would be completed by 2020.

The Chief Minister also unveiled a model of the project.

Prof Lorenz Reibling, Chairman, Taurus, was among those present.

The Rs 1,500-crore project envisages construction of Embassy Taurus TechZone, a 33lakh square feet IT space, Taurus Zentrum, a 12-lakh square feet retail space, 315-room service apartment Asset Taurus Identity and a 200-room business hotel.

The total built-up area of the project will be 57 lakh square feet.

The entire project will come up on 20 acres in Phase III campus of Technopark,of which 12.43 acres would be exclusively for office space and remaining for retail,hotel and serviced apartments.

Leading SEZ builder the Embassy Group has partnered with Boston-headquartered Taurus Investment Holdings for the project.

Shashi Tharoor MP,V K Prashanth, City Mayor, M Sivasankar IT Secretary, Government of Kerala and Hrishikesh Nair, CEO, Technopark were among those present.