Indias First I-T Park Nearing Completion
The first phase of Indias pioneering information technology park is nearing completion.
The $378 million International Tech Park (ITP) promises to establish Bangalore and India among the world IT leaders, ITPs chief executive officer Kang Kok Hin said.
The park, which is located 18 kilometres from Bangalore, is a tripartite joint venture between Singapore Information Technology Park Investment Ltd, Tata Industries Ltd and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board. The Tatas and the Singaporean consortium each have a 40 per cent stake while the state board controls 20 per cent.
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On a scale of 10 we would give eight to ITP in terms of its global significance. It is the first true gateway between the east and the west, Kang said.
The park is expected to be inaugurated in June by Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and the then Indian prime minister.
The first phase of the park, which will be ready very soon, allows companies to move in, plug in and get started, he said.
When completed, the park will have offices, commercial and production space, apartments and recreational facilities spread over 172,000 square metres of high performance work environment and 135,000 sq mt of production space. The first phase, consisting of a 14-storied and a 12-storied glass-fronted buildings covering a total area of 68,337 sq mt, is being given final touches.
We recognise that the information society, which is already upon us, does not make sense for companies to struggle for facilities like telecommunications, water, roads and other basic amenities, Kang said. ITP is a one-stop park that would ease international companies into the Indian market, familiarising them with the countrys systems and procedures, offering business tips and affording infrastructure comparable to the best in the world, he said.
The ITP will provide a single-window clearance for all licences, permits and approvals from Indian government agencies.
Experts said the park makes good business sense given Indias rapidly rising IT sector. The 1997-98 turnover is projected at Rs 193 billion (about $ five billion), a growth of 36 per cent over the previous year. Although it compares unfavourably with the 61 per cent growth recorded during the previous year, it is promising in the long run, they say.
Rajamohan Rao, a partner in Bangalores leading cellular phone service JT Mobile, said, a park like this is very essential in Bangalore if it wants to graduate to the information capital of not just India but Asia.
Rao said the park would give India a definite edge if it is used the way it should be.
Kang said that going by the list of companies that have already either bought or leased space in the park it is on the right path.
Companies setting up shop here include Sony, Siemens Components, Hitachi Micro Systems Asia, Hitachi Asia, Tata Consultancy Services, Singapore Technologies, The Singapore Software Centre, Rotary Engg, RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers, Singapore Medical Centre, Times Bank, Gemplus Technologies and SAP AG.
Many of these companies have already begun their fitting out operations.
The ITP management is leaving nothing to chance. Power, telecommuncations, roads, power supply, security and maintenance are being looked after closely. Once a company moves in to do business, it must concentrate on just that, he said.
A 4,000-line exclusive telephone exchange, which can be upgraded to 12,000 lines, is operational. Telephone connections are guaranteed within 24 hours. Two radio links have been set up with the help of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) to enable data connectivity of any bandwidth.
VSNL is expected to commission a 13-metre antenna for direct satellite link. The ITP also has a captive power plant of nine mega watt capacity to take care of energy needs.
The progress of the park is being closely watched outside India, especially in Singapore as this is their flagship project in India. The rejection of the Tata-Singapore International Airlines venture by the H D Deve Gowda government early last year had put off a lot of Singaporean investors.
With the ITP appearing to be moving well, it could well change that feeling. The ITP chief appeared to play down the problems saying the problems here are nothing unusual. They happen elsewhere too.
The park set to catapult Bangalore among world leaders in information technology