Thursday, October 17, 2013: Government of Kerala has accorded sanction vide G.O. (Ms) No.12/20 13/ITD dated April 30, 2013 to establish a Technology Innovation Zone at Kochi in the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park at Kalamassery. Technopark TBI society has been designated, as the agency to set up and operate the Technology Innovation Zone.
KINFRA will lease 10 acres of land comprising of the existing Start- up Village to the Technopark Technology Business Incubator (T-TBI) without lease premium at an annual lease rent of Rs.1/- per acre.
Cost of land development and cost of structures, if any, shall be paid by the T-TBI to KINFRA. Technopark TBI shall reconstitute its Board of Governors with Chief Minister as Chairperson, Minister for IT as Vice Chairman and Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Industries), Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Science & Technology), Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Agriculture), Principal Secretary/ Secretary (IT), Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Higher Education), Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Finance), The Chief Executive Officer, Technopark, The Vice Chancellor, Cochin University, The Managing Director, KINFRA, The representative from NSTEDB, The Director, EDII, Ahmedabad, Gol as members. Five prominent industrialists will also be nominated by the members. The T-TBI shall also constitute a High Level Advisory Committee comprising of Central, State Government officials, Industrialists and Academia.
It is relevant to note that the Technopark’s Technology Business Incubator is one of the most successful IT incubators in India. It has facilitated more than 185 new companies producing more than Rs.180 crore together in revenue in a span of 6 years.
The “Startup Village”, India’s first TBI on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with DST funding has been operating from Kochi and is promoted by the first incubate company in Technopark TBI, namely MobMe Wireless. The Startup Village at Kochi has been receiving quite a large number of applications from new companies for incubation. The Innovation Zone is expected to attract both IT and electronics design companies.
