“Bihar will be a favorable IT destination”

Avishek Rakshit

Patna

June 5, 2008

Excerpts from an interview with Anil Kumar Singh, IT Minister, Bihar

How is the IT market in Bihar faring?

Compared to the other states in India, the level of IT in Bihar is low. Till
now the IT sector in Bihar was being neglected because of the lack of
consciousness among the people. With low awareness levels about the benefits of
IT, the main concentration was on other sectors, primarily agriculture, but now
with the onset of e-governance and e-commerce, we are realizing the potential
this industry has.

What are the factors for the lag in IT?

Primarily, as I said, the main factor is lack of technical consciousness
about this field. The state is filled with talent and given the correct scope
and opportunities, people can put up their best for maximum performance. Lack of
proper technical (IT) institutes and colleges is one of the main reasons why
Bihar has lagged behind in this sector. Our students go to other places in India
to study IT and then settle there for a career. The scope for students and IT
workers has been very limited here.

Also, the infrastructure we had was not suitable for the development of IT.
Power problem has always haunted the state and we are still coping with this
issue. Proper infrastructure is the precondition for the development of this
industry.

What potential do you see in the market in the near future?

In the near future, the IT growth in the state may be wonderful. The
upcoming markets are proving to be the growth drivers in many market segments.
Patna is a virgin market, which has been untapped. I think major IT players in
the future will try to outwit each other here. I see Patna as one of the major
competitive markets in the near future.

Already, telecom had a steep growth here. Now, it is time for IT to develop.

What are the initiatives you are taking?

New technical colleges are opening up in the state and many more are in the
pipeline. We are also upgrading the potential in colleges at present. The
development of the 'technical park' has been a major advancement and people
have started to think on the lines of bringing about a change in the industrial
system. We are also about to introduce primary computer training in all the
schools and installations are in process.

New infrastructure projects are going on in the entire state and the flyover
chain will shortly be introduced. As far as the power problem is concerned, we
are working on it and will soon be able to have the potential power needed for
the IT industry.

Moreover, e-governance and e-commerce projects are on the way to run across
all blocks across the state.

We are also planning to hold an IT Summit in October/November to invite all
IT companies to set up manufacturing plants here and invest in the economy. In
other words, we'll soon be opening to investments in IT and allied industries.
Once, this gets started and investments flow in, Bihar will soon be one of the
favorable IT destinations in the nation.

We may set up IT zones to implement this and the Indian government is also
keen on helping us. Also, we are ready to cooperate with any IT association in
Bihar, which comes forward to promote IT and the allied sector.