More than 50 per
cent of new
information
technology parks in
Kerala are located in
rural areas.
Mervin
Alexander, Chief
Executive Officer,
Technopark, in
Trivandrum, Kerala,
advocates the
development of IT
parks across rural
India—a win-win
model for all.
In spite of India's significant
economic strides in the last
two decades or so, majority of
our population continues to live
in villages essentially working
in primary sector (agriculture
and allied).
The IT/ITES sector continues
to contribute significantly to
India's economy in terms of
direct and indirect employment
creation, contribution to GDP,
and also fostering growth in
other sectors through use of IT in
operations. The growth is bound
to continue though the growth
rate is unlikely to remain at the
same levels.
IT growth in India has a very
heterogeneous spread geographically.
While the southern states,
especially cities like Bangalore,
Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune,
had a lion's share of the sector,
eastern India, except a little bit in
Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, were
left far behind.
Regional imbalances between
rural and urban India and various
states and regions have been
a source of chronic socioeconomic
problems leading to several
other issues including violence
being propagated by some
groups. IT growth in cities has
also led to congestion, pollution,
rise in the cost of living, pressure
on civic amenities etc.
Unlike other manufacturing
industries, which are location
specific and depend on availability
of raw materials or distance to
the port etc., IT sector, which is a
knowledge industry, is largely
immune from such requirements.
It is hence possible to
locate IT industries anywhere in
the country as long as the staff
working in the sector has good
living facilities in terms of educational
facilities for children,
healthcare etc., not to forget the
availability of good communication
link through bandwidth and
multiple service providers.
With IT space becoming
expensive in metros, IT firms are
looking for less expensive space
in Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities and
major towns. With international
standard highways connecting
the length and breadth of the
country making every part of the
nation rather easily accessible
and world-class communication
facilities reaching remote villages,
relocating IT firms from
high cost areas to lesser cost
locations is a prudent option. For
example, Bangalore and Hosur
are now connected through
good quality highways, where
one can easily cruise at an average
speed of 80-100 kph. This
gives an option to locate an IT
firm in Hosur or even beyond
than locating in a much expensive
Bangalore. In this model, all
the advantages of Bangalore like
international connectivity, manpower
availability etc., could be
made use of, besides the huge
advantage of space cost.
Concept of Technolodges
The demography of rural Kerala
is much different from rest of the
country. Besides high density of
population, all the rural areas
have good connectivity, availability
of manpower, good quality
educational institutions etc.
Taking advantage of this, on an
experimental basis two Technolodges
were set up in rural
areas in southern Kerala.
Technolodges essentially are
existing government buildings
in rural areas, which are eitherunderutilised, or lying vacant.
These buildings were taken over
on lease from the panchayats and
were done up with good quality
interiors, cabling, lighting, workstations
etc. The centres were
also provided with DG sets for
uninterrupted power. The
demand for these two Technolodges
as soon as they were
completed proved that rural IT is
a profitable option and more such
demands have started coming in
from different areas and at present
about 12 such Technoldges
are getting ready across Kerala.
Besides Technolodges, more
than 50 per cent of the new IT
parks coming across Kerala are
located in rural areas.
Technopark-Kollam, which is
located at a place called Kundara
in the Kollam-Madurai route, is a
classic case of locating IT parks
in the rural areas. This 50-acre
fully SEZ IT park located in scenic
countryside will be ready by
the end of the year. This place has
all the advantages of an urban
area and already enquiries for
space have started coming in.
A similar strategy is possible in
almost all places of rural India. To
begin with, villages in the outskirts
of cities with a travel time of
one to two hours could be targeted.
Such locations exist in the
outskirts of Chennai, Bangalore,
Hyderabad etc. While choosing
the location, good connectivity in
the form of good roads should be
ensured. Often in large cities,
people owing to higher rentals in
the inner city stay in the outskirts.
For them to move to work to a
nearby rural area may be an easier
option rather than coming
inside the city. Once such rural
areas develop with IT firms, rest
of the infrastructure in the form of
residential accommodation,
schools, hospitals, recreation
facilities etc., is bound to follow.
In other words, IT industries
moving to rural areas will act as a
catalyst for rural development.
Urban areas in India are overstretched,
making urban life difficult
and unhealthy. This also contributes
to a large amount of social
problems. Often elders are not
taken care of, as children have to
move to urban areas for a living.
Relocation of all avenues for
employment including IT sector
in rural and semi-urban areas will,
to a large extent, help to overcome
some of the serious problems confronting
us today. Focusing on our
villages is paramount for a harmonious
growth, social equilibrium,
and a happy society.
The Father of the Nation had
correctly said that the soul of
India lived in the villages. It is
hence every enlightened entrepreneur's
responsibility to target
rural areas if India has to
achieve a meaningful growth. IT
sector can lead by setting a
model in this also as it has done
in many other areas. If we are to
become a superpower by 2020,
our rural areas should be dotted
with IT parks, big and small.
(Technopark is a Government
of Kerala initiative to ensure
rapid growth and development
of IT/ITES infrastructure across
south Kerala. It also encourages
companies to invest in IT & ITES
in south Kerala through creation
of appropriate infrastructure.)