Odisha earmarks 5,500 acres for IT parks and electronic hubs under PPP, driving IT, ITeS, ESDM, and semiconductor sector growth
OdishaPlus Bureau
The government of Odisha has pinpointed approximately 5,500 acres of land in and around the capital city for the establishment of IT parks, towers, and electronic manufacturing facilities through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Despite the strong interest shown by various IT and semiconductor companies to establish their operations in Odisha, the state government has encountered a distinct challenge regarding land allocation over the past few years.
According to sources, the identified land parcels include the Mundali area (980 acres), Kuaput Hills (1,694 acres), Haldipada (1,694 acres), Aranga (1,504 acres), Aragul (874.5 acres), and the XIM University square (441.5 acres). Plans for plug-and-play infrastructure have been made in both existing and forthcoming commercial towers to facilitate a quicker rollout for new investors.
During a recent high-level meeting, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja instructed the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and the Khurda administration to expedite the acquisition of the identified land parcels. Upon completion of the land acquisition, the government will contemplate offering land at preferential rates to esteemed IT, ITeS, and ESDM companies that intend to establish large-scale operations within the state.
Officials indicated that in addition to extensive areas of land on the outskirts of the city, smaller plots within the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) boundaries will also be utilized for the establishment of IT parks and multi-storey IT towers. These land parcels are intended to support startups, medium-sized enterprises, and service companies requiring ready-to-occupy office space.
The chief secretary further emphasized the need to accelerate the completion of built-up facilities at Infovalley and Infocity, the state’s two premier IT parks, in addition to the proposed IT towers, which include the NBCC tower, OBCC tower, OMC tower, and Chandaka IT tower.
IDCO has been instructed to prioritize the construction of the proposed IT towers. The meeting also resolved to request the East Coast Railway (ECoR) to allocate dedicated space for IT and ITeS companies in the forthcoming new complex at the Bhubaneswar railway station.
“These towers should be completed swiftly and made ready for allocation to applicants. The objective is to provide immediate infrastructure to companies without the prolonged wait for available spaces,” Ahuja emphasized.
Additionally, it was decided to reclaim unused land from various larger IT units and developers such as DLF, where the anticipated growth has not materialized, resulting in a significant portion of land remaining vacant for an extended period.
In the meantime, IDCO has been tasked with implementing a GIS-based land management system, which will overlay forest land data onto Bhulekh records, facilitating quick reference for officials during project clearances.