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STPI and Department of IT, Government of Goa have signed an MoU for promotion of IT/ITeS/ESDM sector in the state, says Dr Omkar Rai, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Conversation with Souvik Goswami of Elets News Network (ENN).

Give us an overview of STPI.

Way back in 1991, the Software Technology Parks of India was established and registered as an autonomous society under the Societies Registration Act 1860, under the then Department of Electronics (the present Department of Electronics & Information Technology or DeitY), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. STPI was created as a nodal agency to promote software development, hardware manufacturing and export of both. STPI has been providing statutory services under a “single window clearance” mechanism from various STPI centres spread across the country right since its inception.

STPI was also entrusted to provide the IT industry with incubation support and Internet bandwidth support.

It was licensed to provide bandwidth services to the IT exporters and the IT industry as a whole. Therefore, each STPI centre became an international satellite gateway, offering Internet bandwidth to the IT industry.

So, basically, apart from being a single-window support and clearance authority for IT exports, we were also into infrastructure and other necessary support to the IT industry. STPI also promotes secondary and tertiary locations in the country by establishing STP facilities in such places in order to extend the coverage of the STP/EHTP scheme and dispersal of the IT/ITeS/ESDM industry beyond metros for all inclusive growth of the sector.

Shed some light on the IT export scenario in India with the help of STPI.

STPI, through administration of Software Technology Park (STP)/ Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) scheme, provisioning of High Speed Data Communication and incubation support to the software exporters, has played a seminal role in the phenomenal growth of IT & ITES sector. STPI has come a long way and become highly successful in its mission as a catalyst in positioning India as the most preferred destination for outsourcing IT and IT-enabled services. A fact that is aptly proven by the stupendous growth in IT exports, from `52 crore in 1992-93 to a staggering `308,392 crore (tentative) in 2015-16, which represents more than 50 per cent share in national IT exports.

Also Read: India Aspires to be Software Product Industry by 2025: Dr Omkar Rai

“IT/ITeS Industry has reached a level where we can be proud of. This is the time when we have to reap the benefits and work collaboratively with the Government, Industry and the Academia, so that the country can be transitioned from a service to a product nation.”

How do you foresee the growth of Indian IT Industry?

I would say that IT/ITeS Industry has reached a level where we can be proud of. This is the time when we have to reap the benefits and work collaboratively with the Government, Industry and the Academia, so that the country can be transitioned from a service to a product nation.

I would also like to mention that for all inclusive and stable growth, demographic shifts are required and it is the need of hour. The Government of India, through its Make in India, Digital India, Atal Innovation Mission and Startup India initiatives, is focusing on creation of indigenous products and digitally-empowered society. We are confident that due to these initiatives, IT Industry will also achieve unprecedented growth in times to come.

“For all-inclusive and stable growth, demographic shifts are required and it is the need of hour. The Government of India, through its Make in India, Digital India, Atal Innovation Mission and Startup India initiatives, is focusing on creation of indigenous products and digitallyempowered society”

The Government of India has launched India BPO Promotion Scheme. What impact will it create in the near future?

Indian software and BPO industries have earned brand equity globally and are the largest urban job creator in the country. The sector contributed around 9.3 per cent to the GDP. The growth of the sector has been centred around metro cities so far. In order to create approximately 1.5 lakh job opportunities and to further propel the growth of IT-BPO industry, especially MSMEs and start-ups in smaller cities/muffassil towns, the Department of Electronics & IT (DeitY), Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India has notified the “India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS)” under the Digital India programme.

The scheme provides financial support in the form of Viability Gap Funding to eligible companies, with the following objectives:

• Creation of employment opportunities for the youth, by promoting the IT/ITES Industry particularly by setting up the BPO/ITES operations in Smaller Cities/ Muffassil Towns.
• Promotion of lot of investment in IT/ITES sector in order to expand the base of IT industry and secure balanced regional growth. This scheme would ensure substantial investment and would have a multiplier effect on the economy in times to come.

What is STPI’s plan for the State of Goa?

STPI and the Department of IT, Government of Goa have signed an MoU on 2nd May 2016 for promotion of IT/ITeS/ESDM sector in the State. Further, STPI is setting up its centre in Udyog Bhawan, Panjim, Goa for providing single-window services and infrastructural support to the IT/ITeS Industry, especially startups and SMEs of Goa. STPI is also planning for creation of a state-of-the-art facility in the upcoming IT Park at Kadamba Plateau, Chimbel Village, Tiswadi Taluka, Goa, which has been approved in principle by the State Government. Apart from this, for promotion of innovation, R&D and IPR creation in IT/ESDM sector, STPI, along with the Government of Goa, is planning to set up ESDM incubation centre in the State.

Also Read: STPI endeavors creating environment apposite for start-ups: Dr Omkar Rai

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