Tamil Nadu delegation meets KTR

Hyderabad: A delegation from Tamil Nadu, led by the State’s Information Technology & Digital Services Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR), is on a three-day visit to Telangana to study the policies and strategies implemented to build a robust IT sector in their State. They met with Telangana IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat here on Thursday.

The Tamil Nadu delegation will study various IT & e-governance initiatives, and policies to get a first-hand understanding of the IT and innovation ecosystem in Telangana. They will visit T-HUB, T-Works, and WE-Hub. During the meeting, KTR gave a detailed presentation highlighting various IT initiatives implemented in Telangana.

He emphasised the introduction of innovative policies such as the Telangana State ICT Policy, Rural Tech Centres Policy, Innovation Policy, Electronics Policy, Gaming & Animation Policy, Cyber Security Policy, Data Centre Policy, and Open Data Policy. He also introduced the various organisations established by the Telangana government such as T-Hub, WE Hub, T-Woks, RICH and TASK.

KTR mentioned that despite the misinformation spread after the formation of Telangana, stating that the IT companies would shift their offices from Hyderabad, the city emerged as one of the fastest-growing IT hubs. He presented detailed information about the efforts put into drafting a comprehensive policy for the IT and allied sectors.

He highlighted that the policy not only encapsulates the Telangana government's vision and ambitious targets but also takes into account the input from stakeholders in the IT sector to understand the support they require from the State government. Recognising the crucial role of Hyderabad in the sector, the State government has invested in developing infrastructure that complements its growth.

KTR mentioned that despite Amazon having the least presence in the city initially, this globally prominent company established its largest campus in Hyderabad within just eight years. Additionally, he listed other world-renowned companies like Google, ServiceNow, and Facebook, which had a minimal presence before but eventually set up their largest or second-largest campuses in the city.

Telangana's IT Minister highlighted that, in addition to generating employment opportunities for individuals with higher education qualifications, the State government has been actively striving to provide better services to the people through technology integration. As a result, the State has emerged as a leader in online and digital services.

The government's vision for the IT sector goes beyond limiting it to Hyderabad, as they have successfully expanded it to tier-II cities within the State. It has taken the initiative to set up IT towers in Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar and Siddipet, fully funded by the government. Offices of TASK and T-Hub were established in these regions to provide training to the local youth.

After attentively listening to the initiatives and policies implemented for remarkable growth in the IT sector in Telangana, PTR showered praises on the State government's efforts. He expressed hope that he would be able to replicate Telangana’s successful initiatives in his State. He extended his gratitude to the Telangana government and KTR for making all the necessary arrangements for his delegation’s visit.

The delegation is scheduled to return to Tamil Nadu the day after tomorrow. PTR expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Telangana government and IT department, emphasising that both States can learn from each other.