PTR meets KTR: Tamil Nadu IT delegation visits Telangana to understand best practices

HYDERABAD: A delegation from Tamil Nadu, led by the State’s Information Technology and Digital Services Minister 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 the State.

The delegation led by Thiaga Rajan met with IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) at Dr B R Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Thursday. The Tamil Nadu delegation would study various IT and e-governance initiatives, and policies to get a first-hand understanding of the IT and innovation ecosystem in Telangana. They would 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 Centres Policy, and Open Data Policy. The Minister also introduced the various organisations established by the Telangana Government such as T-Hub, WE Hub, T-Woks, RICH and TASK to the delegation.

KTR mentioned that despite the misinformation spread after the formation of Telangana, that 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.

KTR highlighted that the policy not only encapsulated the Telangana government's vision and ambitious targets but also took into account the input from stakeholders in the IT sector to understand the support they required from the State government.

Recognising the crucial role of Hyderabad in the sector, the State Government invested in developing infrastructure that complements its growth. The department's strategic inclusion of domain experts from the industry played a crucial role in driving the significant growth witnessed in the IT sector, he added

With the primary goal of attracting new investments, the Minister said that the State Government had fostered good relations with companies that already have their offices in the city, providing them with the required support.

KTR mentioned that despite Amazon having the least presence in the city initially, the globally prominent company established its largest campus in Hyderabad within just eight years. He listed other world-renowned companies such as 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 emerged as a leader in online and digital services.

The government's vision for the IT sector had gone beyond Hyderabad, as it succeeded in expanding to Tier-II towns within the State. KTR stated that the State Government has taken the initiative to set up IT towers in Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, and Siddipet, fully funded by the Government.

Offices of Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) and T-Hub were established in these regions to provide training to the local youth. This particular initiative garnered an overwhelming response from both IT companies and hundreds of youth in Tier-II towns, who have secured jobs as a result, he added.

After attentively listening to the initiatives and policies implemented for remarkable growth in the IT sector in Telangana, the Tamilnadu counterpart showered praises on the State government's efforts.

The Minister who recently assumed the role of IT Minister of Tamil Nadu, expressed hope that he would be able to replicate Telangana’s successful initiatives in his State. Commending the exponential growth of the IT sector in Hyderabad, he mentioned that the various programs implemented by the Telangana Government were truly inspiring. PTR extended his gratitude to the Telangana government and KTR for making all the necessary arrangements for the Tamil Nadu delegation’s visit.

The delegation was scheduled to return to Tamil Nadu on Saturday. The IT Minister of Tamil Nadu expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Telangana Government and IT department, emphasizing that both states can learn from each other.