TN initiatives take IT beyond Chennai

The signs of IT expansion beyond Chennai have started with the Tamil Nadu government's initiatives to promote tier-II cities as IT hubs.

Under its IT/ITeS SEZ development plan, Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot) is setting up nine IT SEZs in Tamil Nadu, developing 1 million sq ft space at an estimated cost of Rs 28,000-30,000 crore (Rs 280-300 billion) - one each at Perumbakkam village and Sholinganallur near Chennai, two in Madurai, and one each at Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), Krishnagiri, Salem, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.

Leading IT product and services companies and ITeS majors have shown interest in leasing operating space at these SEZs, said Tamil Nadu IT secretary C Chandramouli.

BPO company Sutherland has selected the IT park at Tirunelveli, sources said. Others, who have shown interest in the 500-acre Tiruneveli IT park, include:  Pune-based Syntel, US Technologies, HCL Technologies, Tessolve, Hexaware, AES Technologies, Orange Scape, Take Solutions and Accel Frontline, they said. 

The Tirunelveli park, which is expected to become operational by June this year, will create 1 lakh jobs. HCL Technologies, Satyam, Sify, Sutherland and Cognizant Technologies also plan to operate out of the 200-acre IT SEZ at Perumbakkam near Chennai.

Wipro Technologies is already functioning out of a 4,000-seater facility at Perumbakkam.