AP plans to build infra for three IT concept cities

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced plans to build infrastructure for three IT concept cities in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Anantapur. The state's IT minister, Gudivada Amarnath, stated that the decision was made due to the significant strides the state has made in developing its IT industry. The three cities were selected based on their existing technology presence, availability of human resources, and proximity to user sectors. The goal is to attract both domestic and global IT/ITeS firms across various sectors, including healthcare, education, travel, insurance, and banking.

According to Amarnath, the concept cities will offer speedy execution and cost reductions for the IT industry. Quick approvals will reduce the time needed to start operations, and there will be seamless connectivity to airports and highways. The availability of skilled manpower will be ensured, and world-class IT-driven common and social infrastructure will be provided, along with plug-and-play IT office space and coworking spaces.

The state also boasts a cost structure trend that is 20-25% lower operating costs, with a 5% average difference in challenger and aspirant cities. Amarnath claimed that the state's IT policy is futuristic, with provisions for employment incentives, power tariffs, transport subsidies, work-from-home incentives, quality certification, and start-up ecosystem development.