Technocity will be larger than the initial three phases of Technopark combined. The existing Technopark is only 360 acres. Photo: ManoramaThiruvananthapuram: The Kerala capital will turn a hub of cybersecurity and financial technology when Technopark expands into its fourth phase. Technocity, poised to be the largest information technology park in the state, would come up at about 400 acres at Pallippuram near here.
President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone of the park on Friday. Technocity will be larger than the initial three phases of Technopark combined. The existing Technopark is only 360 acres.
A fourth of the Technocity will house a knowledge city, the first of its kind in India.
IT hubs
The Kerala government plans to make unique information technology hubs in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Kochi, with its industrial base, will be a center of the Internet of Things, a technology to connect machines of all kinds.
Kozhikode will specialize in mobile apps, while Thiruvananthapuram will be a center for cybersecurity and financial technology such as block chain, IT Park CEO Hrishikesh Nair said. Technopark envisages encouraging startups in the knowledge city and supporting them in three levels.
There will be the large companies which seek out the startups’ services, support services and the academic participation for research.
The Technopark CEO and team are leading talks with large corporations regarding the project. Companies such as Google Inc are expected to tie up with the park.
With the completion of Technocity, one lakh people are expected to be employed, information technology secretary M. Sivasankar said.
On fast track
The project had remained a non-starter for years, forcing many companies to distance themselves due to the uncertainty. However, the recent spurt in activity has encouraged many companies to request for expansion into the upcoming project.
Nair’s first mission as the Technopark CEO was to complete Technocity at the earliest. Technopark is brimming with companies. Even the third phase towers are struggling to accommodate companies, making Technocity all the more relevant.
As much as 47.5 acres of the project has been designated as a special economic zone. Tata Consultancy Service has taken up 97 acres in the new campus. Though the software company had initially planned to set up a training center here, talk doing the rounds hints is that it may be a full-blown development center.
A compound wall has been completed. Suntech, Kerala Academy Skill Excellence (KASE) and IIITMK have also started construction. The IIITMK’s two buildings have already been completed. Suntech tower will be completed in a year.
The companies are free to build as they like. The project will have a 2 lakh square feet building in addition to the companies’ towers. The building is yet to be named.
Infrastructure in place
Electricity and water supply arrangements are in place.
An exclusive electricity sub station has been built. A water purification plant has also been built. The public works department is supposed to relay the road between Pallippuram and Technocity at 22 meter width.
The department has been allotted Rs 595 lakh to build the approach roads. The gateways are coming up fast.
With the completion of Technocity, one lakh people are expected to be employed.Grand vision
The IT hub would focus on futuristic technologies such as cognitive analytics, fintech, space applications, cybersecurity, e-mobility and so on, the state IT secretary said.
The official said the 'Knowledge City' concept planned at Technocity is the big step envisioned towards bringing a paradigm shift in the socio-economic thought process of the southern state.
"Technocity is not just planned as another IT park which provides basic IT infrastructure for IT/ITES companies, but as a center of excellence for frontier technologies that will encourage research and development in upcoming technologies capable of empowering lives of people as envisioned by the government's latest IT policy," Sivasankar said.
Technopark's phase 1, II and III collectively employ over 1,00,000 IT professionals.
"Once Technocity is operational, we foresee additional 1,00,000 employment opportunities from leading and upcoming IT companies in Kerala especially in the areas of futuristic technologies," the official said.
He also said Kerala continues to have the 'cost and congestion advantage' compared to other states in the IT sector.
The capital city is being planned to be developed as a hub for cybersecurity, block chain, fintech and artificial intelligence, he said.
"We shall allocate space for the new generation startups at Knowledge City that will also focus on research and development," Hrishikesh Nair, CEO, Kerala IT Parks.
It would also be developed as a center of excellence for interacting with big IT companies, academic inclusion and also support in the growth of startup companies, he said.
The total IT exports from Kerala during 2016-17 stood at Rs 12,000 crore.
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