BJP MP pulls up YSRCP govt over poor IT exports

Visakhapatnam BJP has found fault with the YSRCP Government for lack of initiatives to strengthen the existing ecosystem to win the confidence of investors as Andhra Pradesh has fared badly in IT exports.

After formation of Telangana, the IT exports from the new State mainly Hyderabad increased manifold whereas AP suffered a lot with no big player except Adani Data Centre and Infosys coming forward to set up developmental centres. However, a few including the office-bearers of IT Association of AP (ITAAP) exude confidence that in future more players will set up establishments in the region once Rs 5,000-crore first phase of Bhogapuram International Airport and the Rs 21,844-crore Adani Data Park becomes operational in next two to three years.

As per the latest report of Telangana Government’s IT, Electronics and Communications, Telangana witnessed a phenomenal growth of 31.44 per cent in IT and ITeS in 2022-23. An increase in exports by Rs 57,706 crore raised the State’s total exports from Rs 1.83 lakh crore to Rs 2.41 lakh crore in FY23. During last fiscal, exports from AP stood at Rs 1,256 crore, which was just 0.1 per cent of total exports from India.

BJP national spokesman and MP G V L Narasimha Rao responding to the revelations made in Rajya Sabha recently told Bizz Buzz that the State despite being a leader in IT manpower in the country accounting for over 10 per cent of IT human resources has only a paltry share of below 0.2 per cent in IT exports.

He said lack of positive efforts by the AP Government is compelling youth from the State to migrate to other areas in search of jobs. He observed and called for all-out efforts to further strengthen the existing ecosystem mainly in Visakhapatnam, the main IT hub in undivided AP after Hyderabad and other places like Tirupati and Amaravati.

In reply to his question recently, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the Upper House that the value of exports from Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) registered IT/ITeS units from AP for last five financial years and its share in overall export from STPI units is as under:

The Minister said as per National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), AP has good infrastructure, large manufacturing base, talented youth and business-friendly environment for the development of IT/ITES industry.

A joint Inspection was carried out by STPI and Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) under AP Government but no suitable space was found. However, STPI has approached Andhra University for establishing an incubation centre on the university campus. Andhra University has consented in January 2023 to provide one acre of land to STPI for setting up of state-of-the-art STPI Incubation centre at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam.

The Minister said the Ministry of Electronics and IT has taken various initiatives pan India to encourage the innovation-led startup ecosystem to develop indigenous products in ICT domain, wherein the incubation centres have been set up in AP and Visakhapatnam to promote tech entrepreneurship.

A scheme titled “Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs TIDE 2.0” was initiated in 2019 to promote tech entrepreneurship through financial and technical support to incubators engaged in supporting ICT startups.

Under TIDE 2.0 scheme, five incubation centres are functional in AP out of which two are in Vishakhapatnam and one each at Tirupati, Guntur and Chittoor. Further, STPI is also having three incubation centres at Kakinada, Vijayawada and Tirupati and four STPI centres at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Tirupati and Vijayawada.

IT in AP

• No big player except Adani Data Centre and Infosys

• Bhogapuram Airport might bring in more companies

• AU gives land to STPI for setting up incubation centre

The State despite being a leader in IT manpower in the country accounting for over 10 per cent of IT human resources has only a paltry share of below 0.2 per cent in IT exports. Lack of positive efforts by the AP government is compelling youth from the State to migrate to other areas in search of jobs

- BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao

tells Bizz Buzz