Telangana government would soon bring out a policy to attract hardware companies to Hyderabad to develop the city into a hardware hub, said the state's Information Technology minister K Taraka Rama Rao on Thursday.
Inaugurating a four-day "India Gadget Expo 2014" programme in Hyderabad, the minister urged the Union government to help the state in the promotion of hardware manufacturing sector.
Rama Rao undelined the need to promote both software and hardware industries in the state. Hyderabad has the potential to become a hub for manufacturing electronic products. And to achieve the goal, skills and clusters would be created, he added.
Rama Rao stressed that the state government has already given its approval to two manufacturing clusters near the Hyderabad airport - one at e-City Manufacturing Cluster in an area of 602 acres and another in Maheshwaram Science Park in 310 acres.
Under the proposed policy, the state has plans to set up a separate authority for Information Telchnology Investment Region (ITIR), which would work to develop electronic hardware manufacturing units in Hyderabad.
The minister stated that top business corporate houses have come forward to make the whole of Hyderabad into a Wi-Fi connected city.
The minister recently asked the officials concerned to draft a master plan for ITIR by employing global consultants. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad Metro Development Authority, the State Revenue Department and Hyderabad Metro organisations will work together with the state government in creating ITIR hubs in the state, he pointed out.
The proposed authority is to attract investments into the electronic system design manufacturing (ESDM) units, the minister said.
"I guarantee you that we will come up with a proper hardware policy which certainly will or should be supported by Government of India as well in terms of creating and attracting hardware manufacturing facilities to Hyderabad," The Economic Times quoted Rama Rao.
The minister said that the current annual software exports from Hyderabad is ₹50,000 crore, and are likely to go up this year. Within the next six to eight months, the state government is planning to establish India's biggest incubation facility for startups in Hyderabad.
Rama Rao added that the state government is committed to the growth of Hyderabad and to double its brand image.
The gadget expo is exhibiting leading manufacturers of gadgets and electronic products like LG Electronics, Qualcomm, Nokia, D-Link, Gionee and Amazon.
Impetus for medical tourism in Telangana
Rama Rao inaugurated a three-day "Indo Global Healthcare Summit & Expo 2014" in Hyderabad on Friday. Rama Rao
The minister said at the summit that the state government will give utmost importance for medical tourism in the state. The government will strive to develop Hyderabad further as the capital of healthcare facilities in the country.
Except in Hyderabad, "corporate hospital care" is not available in other parts of Telanagana. Hence, more funds will be allocated to provide facilities for people's healthcare in the state, the minister added.
