Chandigarh IT habitat to house multiplex

The technology industry and those employed by the companies will be assisted by the latest technology at the "Technology habitat", soon to be set up in the city.

The Chandigarh administration has decided to set up the technology habitat, spread over an area of 250 acres in the city, said an industry official.

The technology habitat will project the modern face of planned development, assisted by latest technology, to serve the modern needs of the technology industry and those employed by the technology companies.

Located in the foothills of the Shivalik Range, the habitat would be in harmony with the environment and in conformity with the ecological balance in the area.

A part of the habitat will be occupied by an extended information technology (IT) park. This will be planned in such a manner that more and more budding IT companies are encouraged to set up their facilities, said the official.

It will be an integrated modern IT park, housing the top end as well as the fledging IT units in the campus.

In order to make the technology habitat self-sustained, modern residential facilities, commercial areas, including a multiplex and modern shopping mall, community welfare infrastructure, consisting of educational facilities, high-tech medical care centre and a banquet hall will form part of the proposed campus.

While planning this modern complex, special attention would be paid to the residents of the Kishangarh village.

Sports and educational facilities adjoining the village will be created specifically for the development of the children of the village, so that they become beneficiaries, as well as partners in the overall development of the area, the official said.

The Chandigarh administration has been receiving good response from the top-end IT/information technology-enabled services (ITES) companies and world-class developers, for providing them space in the IT park, the official added. An investment of Rs 250 crore has already been made by the private sector, mainly DLF and Infosys in this regard and it is estimated that 25,000 jobs will be available in the next five years.

Chandigarh, of late, has been emerging as a destination of choice for many multinationals, particularly those in the IT sector.

A recent survey carried out by NEO-IT, a US-based agency, has placed Chandigarh among the top six destinations in the country for investment in the IT sector.