THE Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) was set up as a non-profit society in 1991 by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (IT). The society has lived up to its objective of encouraging, promoting and facilitating IT exports from India.
There are now 47 STPI centres across India. J. Parthasarathy, Director, STPI, Bangalore, said these centres boast excellent infrastructure and enjoy statutory support aimed at furthering the growth of the IT industry. If Bangalore is now recognised as Indias IT capital, much of the credit certainly belongs to the STPI for its seminal role in accomplishing this status.
The STPI offers a 100 per cent export-oriented scheme for the development and export of software and electronic hardware. As the interface between the government and the industry, it also organises statutory support in the form of permission to allow 100 per cent foreign equity, customs exemptions for software and hardware, central excise exemptions for goods procured from domestic tariff area and reimbursement of central sales tax. Today there are over 7,688 software-exporting units and 152 electronic hardware-exporting companies under the STPI umbrella, accounting for a lions share of Indias software and hardware exports. These units are provided with world-class data connectivity, consulting, infrastructure solutions and plug-and-pay incubation facilities.
STPI maintains internal engineering resources to provide consulting, training and implementation services. The services covered are network design, system integration, installation, operations and maintenance of application networks and facilities in varied areas ranging from VSATs to ATM-based networks. And we are the best interface between the government and industry, Parthasarathy said.
STPIs service portfolio has an entire spectrum of data communication and IT services, making it a total technology service provider for the IT industry. In Karnataka, STPI is developing four Software Hamlets at Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Manipal. Three more are proposed at Belgaum, Shimoga and Tumkur. Today, Karnataka has 1,885 STP units, employing 460,000 people, up from 1,520 in 2004-05. The investment from these units has grown to Rs.3,050 crore during 2006-07. Karnatakas software exports total around Rs.50,000 crore, which is 35 per cent of Indias software exports. STPI, Bangalore is also closely associated with the State governments e-governance programme.
We are in the process of integrating all government offices in the districts and taluks. Government departments will be interlinked. Tenders have been floated for the appointment of consultants for this project. We are already maintaining the Treasury Network, under which the status of projects anywhere in the State can be monitored from Bangalore, Parthasarathy said.
The STPI has been associated with e-governance projects in Thailand and the Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos. It also offers Disaster Recovery Management services, where it stores data for companies that operate in multiple locations.
STPI, Bangalore and the Karnataka government, with support from the industry, were the first in India to open a world-class incubation centre. Opened in June 2006 at its swanky premises in Cyber Park in Electronic City, the Orchid Techscape Integrated Incubation, is meant to create opportunities for entrepreneurs The state-of-the-art centre can support 10 companies at a time. While six companies are getting incubated, one moved out after securing international funding.
Ravi SharmaCOMMents
COMMents
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