Wipro explores expansion plans in Uttarakhand

Despite the current financial meltdown, information technology major Wipro is looking for further expansion in Uttarakhand.

The company’s chairman Azim Premji met Chief Minister BC Khanduri and discussed future plans of the IT major in the hill state where it has set up two units at Haridwar and Kotdwar which have already started production.

Khanduri asked Premji to look for possibilities for setting up new units in the hills under the state government’s new policy, which has declared a slew of incentives for a period of 10 years.

Khanduri also said his government has launched efforts for the extension of the central industrial package (CIP) till 2013.

Nearly 1,256 industrial units have started production in the state taking the benefit of the package. The state government has also announced a special integrated industrial policy with an aim to promote industrial growth in the hilly and remote areas

Wipro Infotech, a division of Wipro, in September began operation at its second IT hardware manufacturing base at Kotdwar growth centre, which is being developed by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (Sidcul), a state government enterprise.

The facility is being used for manufacturing servers, storage devices, notebooks , desktops and allied IT electronics.

Commenting on Premji’s visit to Uttarakhand, a Sidcul official said that most of the companies are now looking for expansion plans in the hill state due to the global slowdown that has already taken a heavy toll on them.

Since a slew of incentives are available in the hill state, these companies are trying to overcome the current crisis.