Wednesday, August 07, 2013: The new Information & Communication Policy for the state of Odisha is in its last leg of finalisation, after the 15 member team commissioned by the government of Odisha has submitted the draft that has been further sent to different departments for objections and suggestions.
By 2020, the draft policy aims to achieve a gross ICT turnover (including exports of software and IT services, ESDM, domestic consumption and training) of $4 billion and attract 10 leading IT/ITES companies and five leading ESDM companies to the state.
“The draft policy envisages to attract top ten IT companies and five best Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) companies”, said Madhusudan Padhee, state IT secretary.
The new policy, among others, aims to create an infrastructure of 60 lakh sq ft (square feet) and develop 2000 acres of land bank. The policy has set target to achieve direct employment of 60,000 professionals in 800 IT/ITes and ESDM units by 2020.
To encourage the investors to set up IT parks in Odisha, the proposed ICT (Information Communication Technology) policy in the state promises entry tax waiver on machines, equipment, capital goods and construction material procured for implementation of infrastructure projects.
The exemption from payment of entry tax will be for a period of three years of procurement of material or the date of completion of the project whichever earlier.
Exemption of sales tax and value added tax (VAT) is also likely to be extended to capital purchases for IT Parks.
The Odisha Computer Applications Centre (OCAC), the directorate of the IT department, would be the nodal agency for implementation of the ICT Policy.
The team to draft the policy was headed by IT secretary with Chairman-cum-Managing of Director of Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), Director of IIIT, Bhubaneswar, STPI and representatives from state finance and energy departments as members.
The committee also had representatives from industry bodies such as IT Association of Odisha, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)- Odisha and National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).
The state IT department has engaged the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier trade body representing the ESDM industry to prepare a road map for the development of ESDM sector in the state.
