Kerala’s IT sector to have 200,000 jobs in 5 years: official

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala’s IT sector will generate as many as 200,000 jobs in the next five years, state Chief Secretary Neela Gangadharan said Thursday.

Inaugurating a conference on IT in Kerala - Challenges and Opportunities, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, she said over 200 rural IT Parks (Techno Lodges) are expected to come up in the state in the next two to three years.

The meeting also saw leading IT experts in the state asking the state government to brand Kerala as an IT destination.

S.D. Shibulal, chief operating officer (COO), Infosys Technologies Ltd, stressed the need for quality education and finishing skills.

“Kerala has to become more attractive for people from not just within Kerala but from outside to work and live comfortably. Branding has to take place for this,” he said.

V.K. Mathews, the convenor of CII Kerala State Council’s IT panel, and CMD, IBS group, dwelt on the fact that IT is different from the traditional industrial sectors.

“It is the need of the hour for people to accept IT the way it is and create proactive policies to foster the growth of this unique sector,” he said.

State IT secretary Ajay Kumar said that the state has been witnessing a period of growth, with software exports growing almost three times the national average.

“The Kerala Government will to invest Rs.2000 to 3000 crore (Rs.20-30 billion) in e-governance initiatives. The government has accorded added thrust for investment during the global recession,” he said.