West Bengal's IT turf is hotting up like never before. Two of the country's software big guns -- Infosys and Wipro Technologies -- are betting big on the state. While Infosys is setting up its maiden sofware campus in Kolkata, Wipro is on expansion mode.
Both companies will collectively pump in close to 2000 crore in IT and BPO projects that will create 35,000 tech jobs over the next three years.
Infosys plans to invest roughly 1000 crore in a software venture that will create 20,000 tech jobs while Azim Premji-controlled Wipro will invest 800 crore in its second software campus that will offer employment to at least 15,000 tech professionals. Infosys co-chairman S Gopalakrishnan recently said the company will make an initial investment of 100 crore in its maiden IT venture in the state.
Both Infosys and Wipro have been alloted 50 acres each in Rajarhat. Both companies have shelled out roughly 1.5 crore per acre. Wipro already has an existing software campus in the city's Salt Lake Electronic Complex where close to 7000 techies work. Infosys plans to make Kolkata its eastern hub for IT and ITeS operations.
The developments come at a time when the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has appointed noted infrastructure & development finance firm, IL&FS to prepare a detailed project report to transform West Bengal into the IT hub of the East. The move is aimed at expanding IT activity across the state and not confining it to Kolkata alone. Such a scenario is expected to pave the way for creation of IT and ITeS jobs across state districts.
At present, nearly all 250 technology companies in the state which employ some 1.5 lakh knowledge workers are located in Kolkata. The state government has decided to stress on IT as the projects do not require large tracts of land.
Wipro and Infosys are betting big on the state's IT growth potential at a time when software exports from West Bengal are slated to achieve doubl e - digit growth in the current fiscal. In FY11, the state had achieved a 7,000 crore software exports.
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