Virendra Singh Rawat / Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh, which is emerging as an Information Technology (IT) manufacturing and services hub in India, has logged software exports to the tune of Rs 32,700 crore.
UP software shipments of Rs 32,7000 crore during financial year 2021-22 is 5.2 percent of India’s composite software exports of Rs 6.28 trillion, Software Technology Park of India (STPI) director general Arvind Kumar said here.
Looking to strengthen the digital economy footprint, the UP government is wooing the private sector for investment in IT parks. The state has announced a slew of incentives and subsidies on capital and land to channelise investment and create jobs.
“Under the India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) in UP, 12 units have been allocated 2,770 seats in the state,” he said. These units are located in Prayagraj, Bareilly, Faizabad, Kanpur, Lakhimpur, Lucknow, Unnao and Varanasi districts.
The STPI registered units numbering 346 in UP provide employment to more than 123,000 software professionals. Kumar said STPI has 5 centres in UP while 4 others are in the pipeline.
Under the UP IT roadmap, a robust network of IT Cities and IT Parks is being developed across the state to ramp up the digital economy framework and boost IT exports.
The Yogi Adityanath government has an ambitious target of developing an IT City in each of the four regions viz. Purvanchal (Eastern UP), Paschimanchal (Western UP), Madhyanchal (Central UP) and Bundelkhand. IT Parks will be set up in each of the 18 administrative divisions of the state.
To encourage private investors, a subsidy of 25 percent or up to Rs 20 crore has been promised for setting up of IT Parks. An additional up to 100 percent stamp duty exemption is also there.
Moreover, the state will provide a subsidy of 25 percent or up to Rs 100 crore on developing an IT City.
Meanwhile, the private IT companies will be encouraged to employ local youth to avail of more pecuniary benefits. On employing 30 local youth, the state will provide a single-time recruitment assistance of Rs 20,000 per student per year to the concerned enterprise.
The government will also assist students or employees to enhance their working skills in the field of emerging technologies.
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Besides, exemption will be provided to the private IT units employing women, SC-ST students, transgender and specially-abled people. Such units will be eligible for the employees’ provident fund (EPF) reimbursement. This includes new units as well as units undertaking expansion.