Telangana govt to announce hardware policy soon

• Technology Development Bank to set up with Rs 100 cr
  
• Govt in talk with telecom operators to convert Hyd in Wi-Fi zone
  
• To convert Hyd and its surrounding areas into a hardware hub

Hyderabad: Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday said that his government would soon announce an exclusive hardware policy as part of its efforts to convert the city and its surrounding areas into a hardware hub.

“We are working on the new hardware policy which will have more clarity than the one announced by earlier governments. The policy, which will be ready in a few weeks, will have adequate steps to attract investments into the crucial sector,” the Minister said, while inaugurating the maiden India Gadget Expo 2014 at Hitex here.
He further said that the government would also make efforts to attract global hardware players into the Hardware Park that was already set up on the city outskirts.
Stating that the city would be transformed into innovation capital, he said a Technology Development Bank would be set up to encourage innovations and startups. “This bank will act like venture capital fund. We thought of starting the bank with Rs 100-crore capital, but we will take a final decision soon,” he said.

On information technology, the Minister said the government would make changes to the existing policy. “We will take inputs from Nasscom, CII and other industry bodies before finalizing the changes,” he said. The government is talking to telecom operators such as Airtel, Aircel, BSNL and Reliance to convert the city in Wi-Fi zone, he added.

Meanwhile, JA Chowdary, chairman of steering council, India Gadget Expo, while interacting with The Hans India, said: “We have been in the forefront of software but always remained exporters. Now that the nation has grown to adapt the new technologies, we have to turn into consumers of technology. And for this very reason, the importance of manufacturing units and design units are important. Hyderabad with its promising scenario can become the biggest hardware hub in India.”
Chowdary made three suggestions to the IT minister at the event, to boost the hardware scenario of Hyderabad.

“Dozens of companies make innovative products but due to the high export duties and lack of testing facilities in the city, its growth has been hit. In most cases, these small scale industries find it unbearable to tolerate these costs. The new government must provide testing facilities in Hyderabad and reduce the import and export duties,” he said. The Minister assured to look into the matter.

Though, Hyderabad has carved a niche for itself as a software hub, it clearly lags behind when it comes to hardware. Entrepreneurs from Hyderabad are also less interested on the sector. The absence of city based manufacturers at the ongoing India Gadget Expo testified the very fact.