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Kohima, Sep. 17 (EMN): In what may help boost software development and its export, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday inaugurated a Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility in Kohima.
It is the 61st SPTI centre in the country and a first in the state. The SPTI is an organisation established by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to encourage, promote and boost the export of software.
Chandrasekhar urged the state government to build a network among the STPI centre in Kohima and National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) along with the other education institutions to create more job opportunities in Nagaland.
While focus can be given on graphic design, it should not exclude other ideas to incubate, he suggested.
He said that there is a strong spirit of entrepreneurship in the north-eastern region and that needs to be channelized. The Centre’s investment in various IT-related projects like STPI has created an opportunity for north-eastern states to avail the facility and move forward, he added.
He said the tectonic shift in demand of technology post Covid-19 has created job opportunities for India. He also said that the inauguration programme of STPI fulfils part of PM’s vision of creating a technology ecosystem in the Northeast and thereby creating opportunities for future generations of youngsters.
The reason for his visit in the region was to assess the outcome of the investments made and to see the real change in the technology ecosystem in the region, he said, adding that the NIELIT training centres across is already creating appetite for more learning among the youths in the region.
The Union minister further called on the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology to work closely with the state government and administration in order to create job opportunities. He further encouraged the IT department to create a strategy to have monthly meetings with the ministries.
Advisor of IT&C, NRE, Science & Technology, Mmhonlumo Kikon said that the new STPI centre would determine the future of Nagaland. Necessary infrastructure for those who want to begin their start-up has been set up, he said while encouraging innovators to make use of the opportunity.
He informed that Nagaland government under the leadership of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio envisions to create 5000 IT-related jobs in the state in the next two years in active collaboration with the Union Ministry. He added that the state government has silently invested energy and resources for the department.
He went on to say that the STPI and IT department will create an ecosystem where internet will be made accessible to every nook and corner of Nagaland.
The STPI is not just giving grants or identifying the entrepreneurs but the Centre will be handholding them through membership for the success of the programme chosen, Kikon added.
He further urged the union minister to address the poor internet service in Nagaland by providing it to every nook and corner of the state.
"We want to make Nagaland the IT hub of South East Asia and the gateway of North East," Kikon maintained. Principal Secretary to the CM, IT&C and Power, KD Vizo informed that the Director General STPI participated in e-Naga Summit in 2015during which an MoU was signed to set up the STPI in Kohima.
Accordingly, department of IT&C had given almost 40% of its building infrastructure to set up STPI but its commissioning was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The biggest strength is the availability of highly trained IT savvy youths who are willing to compete with the rest of the world and they are just waiting for infrastructures like STPI, he stated.
The department plays a key role in transforming the state into a modern state by way of improving transparency, efficiency and ensuring cost-effective public service delivery to the citizens, Vizo added.
Jurisdictional director of STPI, Northeast and West Bengal, Prabir Kumar Das informed that there are 60 STPI centres across the country and the one in Kohima was established to cater to the needs of IT/ITES/ESDM Industry and also to boost the entrepreneurship and IT exports from Nagaland.
As per the MoU signed between STPI and state’s department of Information Technology & Communication (DITC), 18,137 sq. ft. of built up space had been provided by the department at the new building of the Directorate of IT & C, Kohima (Ground floor and immediate Basement floor) which has infrastructures including plug and play incubation seats, raw incubation space, conference hall, pantry, etc. The entire space is equipped with HVAC, uninterrupted power supply, captive DG power system, security system covered with CCTV and fire alarm system.
It envisions to host a centre of entrepreneurship in IT applications in graphic design which can be utilised by start-ups, students and innovators for research and development of new innovative solutions. The centre is a step forward to facilitate and support the dynamic entrepreneurs of the region to explore global opportunity, Das said.
He stated that the STPI facility in Kohima aims to promote the region as one of the preferred IT destinations and to attract IT/ITES/ESDM units; to promote the export of IT software and services from the region thus contributing to gross national exports; and to provide statutory services under Software Technology Park (STP) and Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) Scheme.
It also aims to provide state-of-the-art incubation facility, high speed data communication (HSDC) and other value-added services; to encourage innovation, creation of IPR and product development; to provide mentoring and promotional support; offer vibrant ecosystem for creating a maker culture among the young techno-entrepreneurs and start-ups; and stimulate to create direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The Union minister also virtually inaugurated the NIELIT (an extension centre) at Chuchuyimlang in Mokokchung district during the occasion.
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