India’s 61st software tech park inaugurated in Kohima

Correspondent KOHIMA, SEP 18 (NPN): Union minister of state for skill development &entrepreneurship, electronics &information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated country’s 61st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) at the directorate of STPI– Kohima directorate of information, technology &communication here on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Chandrasekhar said STPI inauguration was a part fulfilment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of creating a technology eco-system in the Northeast by creating opportunities for future generations of the region.

He said electronics, information technology, skill development and entrepreneurship may all be different, yet there was an underlying common threat in that all these target the youth, adding that the mission was to create an opportunity for all youth of India.

Though STPI’s core focus was on graphics, he assured that it would not exclude other ideas to incubate and urged the State government to link STPI and National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) with colleges and universities to create more employment opportunities in Nagaland as awareness was limited in educational institutions.

The minister also encouraged the State government to hold monthly meetings and work closely with the Union ministry of electronics &information technology to explore job opportunities.

Observing that post Covid-19 there had been a spike in demand for technology globally, he claimed that India recorded double digit growth in IT sector, adding that five lakh jobs are expected to be created in the sector in the current financial year. He said electronic manufacturing companies had created over three lakh jobs, adding that global demand would create a huge opportunity for India.

He explained that the purpose of his visit to the North-eastern States was aimed at bringing about a change in the technology ecosystem in the region and deepening the extent and quality of opportunities that come from the ecosystem.

Addressing the gathering, IT&C communication advisor Mmhonlumo Kikon claimed that the State government had invested lot of energy and resources in the IT sector, mentioning that STPI would not only give grants and identify entrepreneurs, but also do handholding through mentorship.

He said the State government envisaged to create 5000 IT and ITeS-related jobs in collaboration with STPI in the next two years and, with a changed scenario due to Covid-19, both STPI and IT department would create an ecosystem where internet would be made available in every nook and corner of Nagaland.

The adviser urged the ITagencies in the State like NIELIT and National Informatics Centre (NIC) to collaborate and coordinate with the IT department in future.

In his welcome address, STPI Northeast & West Bengal jurisdictional director Prabir Kumar Dassaid STPI had been set up at Kohima to cater to the needs of IT/ITeS/ESDM industry and boost entrepreneurship and IT exports from Nagaland.

He said STPI has been working with focus on promotion of IT/ITES exports from the country by providing single window regulatory services under STP and EHTP schemes, plug play incubation facilities for start-up companies and young entrepreneurs and high-speed data communication services for a seamless access for offshore IT/ITES exports.

Mentioning that exports by STPI units jumped from Rs 52 crore in 1992-93 to more than Rs 4,66,926 crore in 2019-20, Das mentioned that 51 out of 60 STPI centres were located in Tier-II and Tier-Ill cities with the objective of ensuring a uniform and overall development of IT/ITES across the country.

He said STPI at Kohima aimed to host a centre of entrepreneurship in IT applications in graphic design which start-ups, students and innovators could utilise for research and development of new innovative solutions.

Das said STPI facility at Kohima would help promote the region as one of the preferred IT destinations and attract IT/ITES/ESDM units to the State, promote export of IT software and services from the region thus contributing to Gross National Exports, provide statutory services under STP and Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) Scheme.

“STPI also aims to provide state-of-the-art incubation facility, high speed data communication (HSDC) and other value-added services, encourage innovation, creation of IPR and product development, mentoring and promotional support, offer a vibrant ecosystem for creating a maker culture among techno-entrepreneurs and start-ups and strive to create direct and indirect employment opportunities,” he specified.

In his address, IT&C principal secretary KD Vizo recalled that an MoU was signed in 2015 for setting up STPI at Kohimaknowing its huge potential.

He said the State government had a vision of making Nagaland the next IT hub of South East Asia and was slowly getting ready to embrace IT culture in a big way.

Asserting that the State’s biggest strength was availability of highly-trained IT savvy youth who were willing to compete with rest of the world, he said the youth were awaiting infrastructure like STPI.

He also referred to the awards received by State like the best-performing State in Northeast in 2015-16, Enterprise Applications Award in NE Tech Sabha in 2018, top State in the Northeast in e-Governance as per the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment conducted by the department of administrative reforms & public grievances, GoI, etc.

Now, with the commissioning of STPI at Kohima, Vizo remarked that the day may not be too far off when Nagaland was rated as having the best STPI in the country, taking the State to the next level and it “the land of e-Governance” through extensive use of e-Governance and ICT-based technologies.

The Union minister also virtually inaugurated the permanent campus of NIELIT Chuchuyimlang and interacted live with the students.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/india-s-61st-software-tech-park-inaugurated-in-kohima/240559.html