The Tamil Nadu government has projected total IT exports from the state to cross Rs. 10,000 crore in 2004-05, from Rs. 8,000 crore in 2003-04.

"Maintaining a double digit growth, the IT sector today provides employment to nearly 1,00,000 IT professionals," said Mr. D Jayakumar, state minister for law and IT. "The perception of Chennai has changed. Nasscom and Gartner have predicted that Chennai would be one of the top favoured destinations for IT outsourcing by 2010 in India," said Mr. Jayakumar.

TN has been able to capitalize on its world-class strengths and availability of physical, educational and intellectual infrastructure and translate these into investments, he said. Large companies like Philips, Accenture, iGate, KLA-Tencor, Kanby Software, Syntel, GECIS, Virtusa, Siemens, Alcatel and 24/7 Customer have recently started their large scale IT operations in Chennai.

The state government would invest about Rs. 85 crore on the 10-lane for the IT corridor. The first phase of this project would cover up to Siruseri IT Park from the city. In the second phase, the highway would be extended up to Mahabalipuram.

The state government has identified Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Hosur as tier II cities to be promoted as IT destinations. Already, the government has identified a six-acre land in Coimbatore to set up a Rs. 41 crore IT Park.

Source: www.economictimes.com

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