New IT Policy for Assam: offers range of incentives

Assam government today approved a new IT Policy under which financial support will be provided to companies setting up BPOs, developing software and carrying out research, among others.
"The Cabinet today approved the IT Policy. We will provide incentives for entrepreneurs, who come to set up IT industries in the state. The incentives will be provided at the time of setting up of the industry," Commerce and Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told reporters after the meet.
Under the new policy, the state government will provide Rs 1.20 lakh one-time incentive per employee for call centres with minimum intake of 100 employees, he added.

For the units engaged in software development, the one-time support will be Rs 1.50 lakh per employee, Patowary added.
"We will also provide Rs 2.5 lakh as one-time support against every employee for research and development centres having minimum 50 seats," he said.
The minister further said land and power supply will also be provided to these outfits at subsidised rates.

"There will be reduction in land value upto 20 per cent if all the above ventures are set up within IT Park. For ventures outside IT Park, there will 50 per cent subsidy for land purchase," he added.
Besides, the Cabinet approved the government to offer per unit power subsidy at Rs 3 for BPO and other IT related ventures, Patowary said.

The Cabinet also approved a Digital Start-up Policy, for which an MoU will be signed with Telangana soon.
"Under the Digital Start-up Policy, an Incubation Centre will be set up at Ambari in Guwahati. This centre will be open for all departments," he added.
Besides, Patowary said the Cabinet approved the Tourism Policy, Bio-tech Policy and Assam Handloom Policy during its meeting today, but did not share details.