“The State of Jharkhand will soon have a new IT policy to encourage IT industry in the state,” believes N N Sinha. In conversation with Kartik Sharma & Souvik Goswami

Please tell us about your view on the IT Policy of Jharkhand and also about the basic objectives of the IT policy?

Also, tell us about your expectations from the IT policy. The IT policy of the Jharkhand Government aims to promote use of IT in the governance of the state. It also aims to promote IT literacy among the Jharkhand population and it also aims to encourage the IT industry in the state.

What will be the vision of the new IT policy? Will it be focusing more on e-governance or focus will be more on promoting IT industry?

I think both have to come together. Because the e-governance cannot succeed in a vacuum as it needs people from IT industry. Industry by its very nature has to be very competitive. Therefore, they are aware of the latest trends and technologies and when these are applied to the e-governance field, then better services and products can be offered to the general population. So, we see e-governance and IT industry not as separate streams. We see them as two streams complementing each otheregovernance’s needs drive IT industry and IT industry, technologies and competencies drive the e-governance.

Please tell us about your plan to create IT Technology Park.

We have a small STPI unit in Ranchi. We have also requested the STPI to increase the capacity in Ranchi as we are aware that there is a great demand, however there is not enough pace in the present establishment. We are also trying to bring other STPI units in the cities of Adityapur near Jamshedpur and Sindhri near Dhanbad, in Bokaro and Deoghar. So, our goal is to also promote other cities of the state for IT industry.

Have you taken any feedback from the IT industry about what kind of requirements they want to set up IT industry in the state?

We have the IT industry which is at a nascent stage. So, possibly not much feedback has come. We have a software technology park, 2 to 3 BPO industries. Essentially not much feedback has been taken. But we are also in the process of revising the IT policy in line with whatever has been done by other states. Our IT policy was formulated in 2004 and now we are in 2014. State’s new Industrial Policy was announced in 2013. This policy includes the revise set of incentives for setting up industries. But we are also aware that lot has happened in the last 10 years in terms of technology, in terms of competitive incentives given by other states. Therefore, we need to have a relook at the IT policy of the state and we are in the process of doing so. We will soon be coming out with the new IT policy may be in 3 to 6 months time.

IT Park is all set to come up in Ranchi. Please elaborate on this.

We are working with the agency promoting the Ranchi Core Capital area to develop an IT Park and it will be built up in 200 acres of land. The land is already available with the government.