Centre gives green signal to ITIRs

The government on April 03 cleared a proposal to create Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIRs), which would be supported with first rate infrastructure and will have investor friendly policies.

The ITIRs has been mooted to add fillip to the growth of both IT/ITES and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing (EHM) Units in specially chosen region.

Setting up of IT/ITES will become a significant growth engine which will propel India to become one of the leading global electronic and IT hardware manufacture centre.

Earlier, the growths of IT and electronic hardware have been projected enormously in both domestic as well as international market, and taking the same into consideration these regions to be come up, would not only pull investment but would create enormous employment.

ITIR will be a specifically notified investment region with minimum area of 40 sq. kms and the processing area will constitute 40% of total area of ITIR. The regions developed would be a combination of IT/ITEs and EHM units, public utilities, residential area, social infrastructure and administrative services and it will also suck out the pressure from existing urban centres as it will enable growth of new townships and dispersal of industry.

In the ITIR, there would be a clear delineation between the IT/ITES areas and Electronic Hardware Manufacturing areas and will also include one or more SEZ, industrial parks and Export-Import Units (EOU) etc.

The state concerned with the regions would be the one to ensure all physical infrastructure and utilities within its jurisdiction (power, water, roads, transportation, sewerage and effluent treatment facilities) are provided.

While Central Government will create high class infrastructure by facilitating development of National Highways, Airport and Rail links to the ITIRs. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) route is advocated for the development of ITIRs. State Government will select the developers/co-developers through a transparent process.

The ITIRs to be developed in phased manner would generate direct and indirect employment during the construction and operational phases.

Earlier in 2007, the PMO Task Force recommended to set up of ITIRS to promote electronic and IT hardware and suggested establishment of High Power Committee to ensure coordination among Central and State Government. It also suggested acquiring of land based on comprehensive resettlement & rehabilitations policy and ITIRs should be developed preferably on waste and un-irrigated lands.