Vijayawada: State IT and Electronics minister Nara Lokesh has said the state government aims to create conditions for 20 lakh new jobs in five years and would strive for massive expansion of the IT sector.
The minister held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of software firm HCL, which is planning to expand its network in AP on a massive scale. The company aims to create some 15,000 jobs in this sector in AP. HCL has 4,500 employees at its unit here.
The HCL delegation comprised its corporate vice-president Siva Sankar and associate vice-president Siva Prasad. They told the media that the company has large-scale expansion plans in the state and aimed to provide employment to a minimum of 5,500 youths. As part of the company’s Phase-2 expansions in AP, a new multi-storied structure would be built and employment provided for another 10,000 persons, they said.
"We will become partners in the state’s skill census and skill development initiatives," Shiva Shankar and Siva Prasad told the media.
They urged Lokesh to release the subsidies that were withheld by the previous government.
Nara Lokesh recalled that during the last Telugu Desam term, he had met HCL chairperson Shiv Nadar and convinced him to set up the unit at Gannavaram. "It was really a great experience that permissions were accorded and land was allotted in Gannavaram in a record time to help the HCL begin its activities there," he recalled.
The minister regretted that the company's activities could not be taken forward in AP due to administrative hurdles in the last five years.
The minister said the government aimed at creating conditions for 20 lakh new jobs in the state. The subsidies withheld by the previous government will be released in instalments, he said, and asked HCL to focus on providing employment to another 15,500 youths in the state.
