Demand for land by IT firms in Hubli-Dharwad increasing

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091053260300.htm

HUBLI: Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Dharwad district in-charge Murugeh Nirani has said that a major portion of about 500 acres of land to be acquired around Gamanagatti near Navanagar, Hubli, will be reserved for information technology (IT) companies.

He was addressing a gathering after performing the “bhoomi puja” for development of Aryabhata Tech Park at Navanagar, between Hubli and Dharwad, on Tuesday.
Mr. Nirani said that the 26 acres of land allotted to IT and information technology-enabled services (ITES) companies at the tech park was inadequate and there was demand for more land by many IT companies that were willing to invest in Hubli and Dharwad.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board had started acquiring 500 acres of land around Gamanagatti, he said and added that depending on the demand a major portion of the land would be reserved for IT companies.

The Minister said that the State Government had plans to establish industrial estates on about 2,000 acres of land around the twin cities and the process had been initiated.
Mr. Nirani said that during the convention of the Association of Kannada Kootas of America in the U.S., he held 12 business meetings at 12 different places and invited non-residential Indians to invest in Karnataka.

“I met nearly 800 entrepreneurs and industrialists and most of them evinced interest in investing in Karnataka and agreed to participate in the global industrial investors’ meet to be held in Bangalore in January next,” he said.

He said efforts would be made to prevail upon entrepreneurs to invest in north Karnataka.
“The Government is also contemplating on setting up separate special economic zone (SEZ) for the IT sector in the State,” he said.

NOCs

Referring to the problem being faced by the IT and ITES companies that had been allotted land at the tech park in getting financial assistance from banks and other financial agencies, the Minister assured them that steps would be taken to issue no objection certificates (NOCs) to the companies from the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) within a week.

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar underscored the need for holding an investors’ meet in Hubli to attract entrepreneurs to north Karnataka and providing more land to IT and ITES companies for development of the IT sector in the region.

MP Pralhad Joshi spoke. Mayor Radhabai Sapare presided over the function.

Chairman of the IT Land Allotment Committee Madan Desai and president of the Small Scale Industries Association Sridhar Pujar spoke. Deputy Mayor Chandrashekhar Managundi, MLC Mohan Limbikai, HDMC councillors Hazarat Ali Dodmani and Shantappa Devakki, Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain and HDMC Commissioner Ajay Nagabhushan were among those present.