The sanctioning of funds by the State government for the construction of a second Information Technology (IT) block has come as a breath of fresh air for the Government Cyberpark in Kozhikode, which has been struggling due to space constraints.
At present, the government IT park as well as the UL cyberpark in Kozhikode are filled to capacity leaving no more space for new IT companies that have expressed interest in setting up operations in Kozhikode. With a new building coming up, there will be more room for expansion for the existing companies.
The State Cabinet on Tuesday decided to sanction ₹184 crore for the new building, of which ₹100 crore will be sourced through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) has been appointed as the special purpose vehicle for the project.
Around 2,000 professionals are working with around 100 companies in the Kozhikode Cyberpark at present. There has been a huge influx of IT professionals from other states after the pandemic, and several new IT companies are knocking on the doors of the Cyberpark.
The Calicut Forum for IT (CAFIT) had recently brought the issue of space constraints at the Cyberpark to the attention of the State government. It had demanded an amphitheatre, auditorium, and day-care facility, besides another spacious building. The Cyberpark management had also appealed to the State to set up a four lakh square feet building of which 25% will be used for commercial purposes. With the present building at the Cyberpark occupying only 5 acres of the 42 acres available, scarcity of land will not be an issue for the project.
The Malabar Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the government’s decision as a brave move for the development of Kozhikode as a premier IT destination in the State. “The government should speed up the process since several national and International IT companies have shown interest in setting up shop in Kozhikode. This will also benefit IT professionals who wish to return to their homeland,” Chamber president M.A. Mehaboob said.
