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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Measures to rectify shortcomings in IT parks by January: Sengottaiyan

Issues relating to infrastructure shortcomings at the IT Parks in the State and the demands aired by entrepreneurs from the sector would be taken up with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, said K.A. Sengottaiyan, Minister for Information Technology.

“The IT Parks have not seen much growth after their inauguration during the previous regime. Steps will be taken to overcome the shortcomings so as to attract companies and make the parks fully operational,” Mr. Sengottaiyan said at a review meet after inspecting the Tiruchi IT Park at Navalpattu in the city on Saturday. He was accompanied by Santosh Babu, IT Secretary, and Atul Anand, Managing Director, Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT).

Demands for reducing the rent for built-up space and relaxation of the eligibility criteria that stipulates companies should have an annual turnover of Rs.1 crore for allotment of land at the ELCOT-promoted IT parks would be taken up with the Chief Minister.

Promising steps to improve infrastructure to meet the requirements of the companies, the Minister said a proposal for handing over a 5.2 km long road, which connects the Tiruchi IT Park with the Pudukottai Highway, to the Highways Department for development has been taken up with the Chief Minister. Development of this road would avoid a detour to reach the park.

Mr. Sengottaiyan indicated that measures to rectify the shortcomings in the IT parks would be in place by January.Mr. Santhosh Babu said the government was taking steps to strengthen infrastructure to promote the IT sector in the State.Mr. Atul Anand said IT exports from the State was expected to grow by 18 per cent this fiscal. The total IT exports from Tamil Nadu stood at Rs.45,000 crore in 2010-11, which was second only to Karnataka.

He disclosed that about 13,000 square feet of built-up space at the Tiruchi IT Park has been allotted to three companies. Seven companies have been allotted 20 acres of land. More companies have evinced interest in setting shop at the park.
HR & CE Minister M. Paranjothi said only two companies have commenced operations at the IT Park and the government was taking steps to ensure optimum utilisation of the available space.

Source The Hindu

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Back in the News - Will Navalpattu get the little spark it needs ?

There is a saying in Tamil "Kodu pottal road podalam". For Navalpattu, "Road pottal sarithira kodu podalam". The big question is when will it happen ?

Click on image below to view it larger

Sunday, September 4, 2011

திறப்பு விழா நடைபெற்று 8 மாதங்களுக்கு பிறகு திருச்சி தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்கா செயல்பட தொடங்கியது

Source: Daily Thanthi

முதலாவதாக திறக்கப்பட்ட நிறுவனத்தில் திருச்சி பகுதியினருக்கு வேலைவாய்ப்பு

திருச்சி,செப்.4திறப்பு விழா நடைபெற்ற 8 மாத காலத்திற்கு பின்னர் திருச்சி தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப பூங்கா செயல்பட தொடங்கி உள்ளது. முதலாவதாக திறக்கப்பட்ட நிறுவனத்தில் திருச்சி பகுதியினருக்கு வேலை வாய்ப்பு அளிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

திருச்சி ஐ.டி. பார்க்

திருச்சி அருகே உள்ள நவல்பட்டு என்ற இடத்தில் தமிழக அரசின் மின்னணு நிறுவனம் (எல்காட்) சார்பில் தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்கா (ஐ.டி.பார்க்) அமைக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது. சுமார் 150 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் அமைந்துள்ள இந்த தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்காவில் ரூ.85 கோடி மதிப்பீட்டில் 55 ஆயிரம் சதுர அடி பரப்பளவில் நிர்வாக அலுவலக கட்டிடம் கட்டப்பட்டது. இந்த தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்காவை கடந்த 9/12/2010 அன்று திறக்கப்பட்டது.

அமைச்சர் ஆய்வு
அன்றைய தினமே இங்கு தொழில்களை தொடங்க 9 நிறுவனங்களுக்கு நிலம் ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்டதாகவும் விழா மேடையில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது. அதற்கான ஆணைகளும் வெளியிடப்பட்டது. ஆனால் திறப்பு விழா கண்டு பல மாதங்கள் ஆன பின்னரும் ஐ.டி பார்க் நிர்வாக அலுவலக கட்டிடம் பெயரளவில் மட்டுமே இருந்து வந்தது. எந்த சாப்ட்வேர் நிறுவனமும் தொழில் தொடங்க முன்வரவில்லை. இதற்கிடையில் தமிழகத்தில் நடைபெற்ற தேர்தல் மூலம் ஆட்சி மாற்றம் ஏற்பட்டு, முதல் அமைச்சர் ஜெயலலிதா தலைமையில் புதிய அரசு அமைந்தது.இந்நிலையில் கடந்த சில நாட்களுக்கு முன் தமிழக தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப துறை அமைச்சர் உதயகுமார் திருச்சி ஐ.டி பார்க்கிற்கு வந்து ஆய்வு செய்தார். அப்போது அவர் நிருபர்களுக்கு அளித்த பேட்டியில் ஏற்கனவே ஒப்பந்தம் செய்த நிறுவனங்கள் உடனடியாக தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்கா வளாகத்தில் தொழில் தொடங்க முன்வரவேண்டும் என வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்தார்.

முதல் நிறுவனம் வந்தது
இந்நிலையில் நவல்பட்டு தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்காவில் முதலாவதாக ஒரு சாப்ட்வேர் நிறுவனம் நேற்று திறக்கப்பட்டது. அமெரிக்கா, இங்கிலாந்து ஆகிய நாடுகளில் செயல்பட்டு வரும் இந்த நிறுவனத்திற்கு சென்னையிலும் அலுவலகம் உள்ளது. இந்த நிறுவனத்தின் திருச்சி அலுவலகத்தில் சுமார் 50 இளம் பொறியியல் பட்டதாரிகள் பணியாற்றி வருகிறார்கள்.
இவர்கள் அனைவரும் திருச்சி மற்றும் அதன் சுற்றுப்புற மாவட்டங்களை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. திருச்சி மற்றும் அதன் சுற்றுப்புற மாவட்டங்களில் உள்ள பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகளுக்கு நேரடியாக சென்று வளாக தேர்வு நடத்தி அவர்களை தேர்வு செய்து உள்ளனர்.

வரவேற்பு
திருச்சி தகவல் தொழில் நுட்ப பூங்கா திறப்பு விழா கண்டு 8 மாதங்களுக்கு பின்னர் இப்போது முதல் நிறுவனம் தனது பணியை தொடங்கி உள்ளது.
திருச்சி பகுதியை சேர்ந்தவர்களுக்கே இந்த நிறுவனத்தில் வேலை வாய்ப்பு வழங்கப்பட்டு இருப்பது திருச்சி பகுதியை சேர்ந்த மாணவ& மாணவிகள், கல்வியாளர்கள் மத்தியில் மிகுந்த வரவேற்பை பெற்று உள்ளது.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Local news - Four lane work from BHEL to Pudukottai Road

Recently, there was a news regarding BHEL, where the company had planned to improve logistics through improved road, train and leveraging port facilities. As a start to that goal, there seems to be work going on in laying a 4 way road connecting BHEL to Pudukottai road. This work, according to a local reporter, is going in full swing. There is a good chance this could form a part of the so called Ring road (Speculation at this point !! ).

If anyone has any picture or additional news on this, feel free to share.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Support from Cethar Vessles Chairman

It is good to hear that high profile Tiruchians like K. Subburaj, Chairman, Cethar Limited are showing outward support to achieve IT sector prominence in Trichy. More voices from other influential high level echelons is essential to drive the need point and gain traction. (Though it shouldn't have to be this difficult)

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The call made by Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries' Association (TIDITSSIA) for making Tiruchi the second capital of the State has struck a chord with the industrial community.

Since Chief Minister Jayalalithaa represents Srirangam constituency, a secretariat bench functioning as the CM's camp office will hold a higher significance, the association president S. Sridharan said. Attributes of an international airport, vantage location and presence of quality educational institutions qualify Tiruchi for the status of second capital, he explained.

While there is no dearth of blue collared jobs, thanks to the presence of BHEL, the two ordnance factories, Golden Rock workshop, Cethar Limited, and other industries, a push to the IT sector will create opportunities for white collared jobs, according to the industrial community.

“Once the Chief Minister invites top IT players to start operations from Tiruchi, other developments will fall in place,” said K. Subburaj, Chairman, Cethar Limited.
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Source: The Hindu

Friday, August 12, 2011

iLink Systems launches operation at Navalpattu

iLink Systems, an ISO and CMMI certified global software solutions provider, Microsoft Gold Level Partner, Preferred Vendor and winner of the 2011 Mobility partner of the year award, today announced the expansion of its Indian operations with the launch of new office at Trichy. The Trichy office will act as an additional offshore development center and can accommodate 50-100 resources.

The location of Trichy office is:
iLink Systems Pvt. Ltd
Office Area 7 & 8, First Level, ELCOT IT Park,
Navalpattu, Trichy – 620016

Heading the Trichy operations will be Ganesh Ramakrishnan, who has been recently hired by iLink Systems. Ganesh joins iLink from Yahoo where in his most recent role he had leadership responsibility for managing Yahoo’s search API transition - as part of the Yahoo!-Microsoft Search Alliance - over to Microsoft’s ad Center platform. Prior to Yahoo!, Ganesh has had extensive experience working for both product and services companies in a host of varied leadership roles executing projects for Fortune 500 clients across a broad range of vertical service lines. Ganesh also has service delivery experience working in multiple geographies –US, UK and India.

Headquartered in Bellevue WA, iLink also has offices at Fairfax VA, Atlanta GA, Palo Alto CA, Los Angeles CA, London, UK and Offshore development center at Chennai, India.

“Establishing an additional offshore development center is an important corporate milestone. As the demand for our services and solutions consistently growing, this additional center will complement the Chennai center in offshore delivery. Choosing Trichy as a location was tactical decision as it is becoming a new IT hub in southern India and has well reputed educational institutions in and around the surroundings” said Manigandan, VP of Operations, at iLink Systems, Inc.


Source: Click here

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Tamil Nadu plans road shows to boost IT investment

While the below is a welcoming news, the laying of 120 feet road connectling IT Park to Pudukottai Highway would increase the marketing impact immensely. The Govt should also be transparent on the significant oustanding issues and a solid game plan to address them to earn the Business confidence. Trichy, naturally, has the virtue of it's locational advantage and is underutilizied. We will monitor how this effort turns out.

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News from The Hindu as below:

In its bid to make Tamil Nadu a global IT hub after its success in attracting automobile majors, the state government has plans to conduct road shows across the state in coming weeks to attract more investors to Information Technology Special Economic Zones.

At present, eight IT-SEZs are being set up at Sholinganallur near Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai (two SEZs), Tirunelveli, Tiruchirapalli, Salem and Hosur. Total investment by government agency Electronic Corporation of India in these SEZs would be around Rs 532 crore.

Principal Secretary in the State Information Technology department Mr Santhosh Babu said, “We will be conducting road shows in various parts of the State. This will be to attract the companies looking to expand their presence in Tier-II cities.”

Mr Babu, earlier ELCOT Managing Director, said these initiatives would attract more employment in rural areas, resulting in people not traveling to major cities for a job.

Though road shows are mainly considered for “marketing purposes”, it would also help act as a platform for companies looking to expand their presence in Tier II locations, he said.

In the recent budget announcement, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Mr O Panneerselvam said the state has already become a global destination for IT and ITeS companies.

“Huge infrastructure was created in Tier II cities which will be put to full use by aggressively marketing available space to potential IT companies”, he had said, adding government would continue to facilitate growth of IT and ITeS firms.

Source: The Hindu

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IT Park: Minister warns companies of cancellation

The State government would take steps to cancel the allotment of land given to private companies in the ELCOT Information Technology (IT) Park in Tiruchi if they do not start operations soon, the Minister for Information Technology R.B. Udayakumar said on Sunday.

No building had come up till now in the 43 acres of land allotted to 10 companies in the Tiruchi IT Park, he told reporters after inspecting the IT Park established at Navalpattu on the city's outskirts. The government had alienated to ELCOT 147.6 acres of land for the establishment of the Tiruchi IT Park.

The State government would look into the background of the companies which were yet to begin operations in the Tiruchi IT Park and issue notices, asking them to function soon. Necessary steps would be taken to cancel the land allotment if the companies fail to start operations, he said.

Accusing the DMK government of not selecting sites properly while establishing IT Parks in eight locations across the State, Mr. Udayakumar said none of the ELCOT IT Parks including the one at Chennai had begun to function.

“Children's parks”

The DMK government had neither provided proper infrastructure facilities nor made suitable arrangements for the IT Parks making it look like “children's parks,” he said.

Many multi-national companies were not interested in coming to Tamil Nadu during the DMK rule as they complained of not getting the right kind of cooperation.

Ground-level problems

The objective behind his inspection was to ascertain the ground-level problems and status of IT Parks and bring it to the notice of the Chief Minister.

Stating that the foundation for IT was laid during the AIADMK regime, he said all efforts were being taken by the present government to take Tamil Nadu a leading State in IT and e-governance. The AIADMK government was keen to provide all help to IT companies and those in the software business and was working with the objective of creating employment opportunities for the IT students and youth.

Efforts would also be taken to impart necessary IT-related training to students to enable them compete in the competitive environment.

The Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister N.R. Sivapathy, IT Secretary Santhosh Babu, ELCOT managing director Atul Anand, Collector Jayashree Muralidharan and officials accompanied the Minister.

Source : The Hindu

Thursday, July 14, 2011

What's the wisdom of Crowd for Navalpattu and vicinity ?

The article in the link here discusses about how a Hedge fund company approaches its trading based on knowledge from crowd through Twitter.

There has been more supporting academic information related to the above in the Wikipedia link as well.

Though the members on multiple Trichy forums like thetrichyportal.com, skyscrapercity etc have been upbeat on Trichy's potential, the recent happenings have made us think that it might very well be policy makers trumping the crowd outlook. One can argue that the crowd in these forums are biased and that every crowd representing their own city is usually optimistic. Good point, but just floating a thought here !!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Trichy IT Park gets more attention from Corporations


Source: Daily Thanthi

Industrial Estate plots sold out

Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) has sold all the 50 plots in its 25-acre industrial estate at Kumbakudi in Tiruchi district.

Having sold the plots of sizes varying between 10 cents and one acre at Rs. 7 lakh per acre as per 2009 rates, the SIDCO is confident of overcoming legal issues in the way of developing 60 more acres in the second phase over the next few months. The plots for the second phase are likely to be sold at a revised rate.

The industrial estate enjoys good patronage since it is located less than two km from the Tiruchi-Pudukottai National Highway.

Ninety per cent of first-phase allottees have evinced interest in setting up fabrication units to cater to the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchi. Of the 50 plots, 12 women applicants sponsored by the Women Entrepreneurs' Association of Tamil Nadu (WEAT) had been allotted half an acre each, P. Veerabadran, Branch Manager, SIDCO, said. The WEAT has taken steps to convert all the 12 women-run units into a single cluster.


Source : The Hindu

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Now it's US-based BPO's turn to scout for space

TIRUCHI: Close on the heels of Syntel Chairman Bharat Desai's visit last week, senior executives of the New York Stock Exchange-listed business process outsourcing player, WNS Global Services, were at the Tiruchi IT Park, evaluating scope for starting a development centre.

Sanjay Puria, Senior Vice-President – Finance, and Sulakshana Patankar, Business Unit Leader, who were taken around the IT Park and the city were impressed by the promising work environment Tiruchi could offer as a tier-II city in terms of quality human resource; road, rail and air connectivity; and the ambience that BPO professionals would look for, ELCOT officials said. The multinational company with headquarters in USA and UK has a strong presence in Gurgaon, Pune and Mumbai,

The WNS executives had earlier visited the IT Parks in Tirunelveli and Madurai as well, and would make their preference known in due course, an official said, adding that at the Navalpattu IT Park building, ELCOT was in a position to rent out to the company the entire 25,000 square feet space in the second floor. Besides, the WNS was also looking for land to an extent of ten acres to start their own facility in the 147-acre SEZ (Special Economic Zone) area. The company, ELCOT officials said, was keen on interacting with students in the region to quell misconceptions about BPO jobs.

As for ELCOT, re-laying of the about six-kilometre 120 feet link road connecting the IT Park with the Tiruchi-Pudukkottai National Highway is a key factor for showcasing the intrinsic value of the SEZ location. ELCOT officials are able to make out the discomfiture of prospective investors when they are taken to the IT Park through a circuitous route, which, in fact, creates an impression that the city is located farther from the park.

The Government departments are seized of the matter, it is learnt. A government order transferring the road from the purview of the rural development department to the highways department is what is needed now for making the IT Park an attractive investment destination, official sources said, indicating that Rs.10 crore would be spent on re-laying the link road.

Meanwhile, Assist International, i-link software private limited, and Seventh Sense Technologies to whom 10,000 square feet built up space in the ELCOT's 50,000 square feet building has been rented out have commenced interior works.

So far, in-principle allotment orders for land in the SEZ area have been given to ten companies. Tiruchi-based e-Quadriga, which has applied for three acres of land, will be the eleventh company. After allotting land to these companies, sparing ten acres for a power sub-station, earmarking seven acres for internal roads, and sparing 14 acres for Open Space Reservation, the ELCOT will be left with about sixty acres to make future allotments.

Source: The Hindu

Friday, February 4, 2011

Syntel chairman explores option for presence at Navalpattu IT park

IRUCHI: Bharat Desai, Founder Chairman of Syntel, a global provider of Information Technology and Knowledge Process Outsourcing solutions with global development centres in India and the United States, on Friday explored the scope for starting a centre at ELCOT's IT Park in Navalpattu here.

Accompanied by N.NR. Sharavanan, General Manager and Head – Administration, SYNTEL, Chennai, and other senior executives, Mr. Desai interacted with officials of ELCOT and the district administration; the Vice-Chancellors of Bharathidasan University and Anna University of Technology – Tiruchi; and industry representatives to determine feasibility to start the proposed centre in the 25 acres of the SEZ area that the ELCOT is keen to allot.

The company, according to ELCOT officials, has already taken stock of the facilities at Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and will take a final decision on which tier-II city to choose after evaluating the advantages in the IT Parks in Madurai and Tirunelveli. Proximity to international airport and the two universities; presence of the National Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Management; a fair degree of cosmopolitan outlook; and the scope for sourcing quality manpower from the region could weigh in favour of the Navalpattu IT Park, the host of dignitaries with whom Mr. Desai interacted believe.

After his nearly hour-long discussion with the District Collector Mahesan Kasirajan, ELCOT MD Santhosh Babu, the Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan University K. Meena, the Vice-Chancellor of Anna University of Technology – Tiruchi P. Devadas Manoharan, Regional Director of NASSCOM K. Purushothaman, and industrialist K.N. Ramajayam, Mr. Desai went around the IT Park building.

The two Vice-Chancellors apprised Mr. Desai of the quantum of student output, the quality of faculty, research activities and other academic initiatives.

Source : The Hindu