IT exports from Kerala to touch Rs 15,000 cr this year

Thiruvananthapuram: IT exports from Kerala are likely to touch Rs 15,000 crore mark this year and expected to create around 2 lakh jobs, state Industries and IT Minister P K Kunjalikutty said.

The IT sector in Kerala has regisered a good growth with export income touching Rs 10,000 crore in the last four years after the UDF government came to power as against Rs 2,000 crore during the previous regime, he said.

In a government publication 'Kerala calling' on the completion of four years by the UDF regime, he said the IT sector also provided 1 lakh direct employment during the period.

He said IT export was expected to touch Rs 15,000 crore besides creating employment to 2 lakh persons with the commissioning of the first phase of Kozhikode Cyberpark and Kochi SmartCity this year.

Technopark here and Inforpark in Kochi registered an annual income of Rs 70 crore from lease and rent of property alone, it was stated.

On e-government initiative, he said all departments in the secretariate here would become 'paperless' with completion of the e-office project, which would be implemented in ten major directorate and five collectorates soon.

"All the 14 districts find place in the list of 50 e-districts across the country," he said. Measures for providing one gigabyte connectivity to all Gramma Panchayats were in final stages, he said.

"With this, Kerala is poised to become the first digital state in the country," he added.