Kerala IT Parks has placed proposals before the government seeking nearly 100 acres to set up IT Parks in and around Kochi, in line with the State government’s policy of setting up IT corridors to turbocharge IT growth in the State.
During a media interaction on the sidelines of the launch of a new facility of Cognizant at Kochi Infopark, Kerala IT Parks CEO John M. Thomas said that the proposal was under the consideration of the State government.
“On our part, we have given a commitment to generate one lakh jobs (if the land is made available). Major proposals for developing already available land into mini townships, including IT offices and supporting infrastructure for residential and commercial use, have been moved for Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram,” he said.
The State government is actively promoting the concept of IT corridor as link-up facilities between IT hubs and spokes along highly accessible areas. The focus is on identifying land close to highways and airports to ensure greater accessibility.
Notwithstanding the challenges of the pandemic, Kochi Infopark has registered a growth of 22 per cent in terms of jobs in the 14-month period since last March. “The number of employees has increased from about 51,000 to nearly 62,500 while the number of companies has rose from 401 to 541 companies,” said Mr. Thomas.
Infopark Kochi has also received approval for setting up a 3.50-lakh sq.ft building. The construction of the building in the first phase of Kochi Infopark is set to get under way shortly.
Mr. Thomas said that the land acquisition team of Kochi Infopark is at work to complete the acquisition of land for improving the accessibility to the second phase of Kochi Infopark, which has a narrow road. “We are hopeful of completing the acquisition shortly. A four-lane road to Kochi Infopark Phase II may become a reality within a year,” he said.
Kerala IT Parks is also working on setting up more extension centres considering the demand for space in centres like Kaloor. “The idea is to set up such centres alongside city centres and metro stations facilitating better parking and commuting facilities. Talks are in advanced stages with various government agencies having buildings to spare,” said Mr. Thomas.
Approval for walkway
“Approval has also been received from the Public Works Department to set up a walkway from Edachira Junction to Kochi Infopark Phase II. We are waiting for Kinfra to lay a pipeline along the area after which the construction of the walkway will begin,” said Mr. Thomas.
