Hyderabad: IT giant Wipro will invest over Rs 500 crore in Andhra Pradesh. It will construct an additional five lakh square feet IT and ITes-built up space and set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 3.14 acres in Visakhapatnam and provide employment to nearly 7,000 professionals over the next five years. Wipro already has two lakh sq ft office space in Visakhapatnam spread over four acres and has provided employment to 650 persons.
It was given 7.14 acres at Rs 80 lakh per acre on outright sale basis in 2004-05 with an employment commitment of 2,500. A high-level delegation led by Wipro chairman Dr Azim Premji met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday and requested him to give an NOC to to develop Special Economic Zone in the remaining 3.1 acres, and construct five lakh sq ft and create employment for 7,000 people over the next five years from the date the SEZ is approved.
“The CM immediately agreed and an NOC was given to develop a SEZ,” IT minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said after coming out of meeting held between Azim Premji led delegation and Chief Minister Naidu.
The IT minister Mr Raghunatha Reddy said, “Wipro will also set up a soap and fatty acids plant at Hindupur in Anantapur district. It has sought 50 acres land for the purpose and the government has agreed to allot. The AP government will provide incentives and concessions to attract IT and other industries in the residuary state. The government will soon come out with an IT and industry friendly-policy.”
Stating that the AP government was taking steps to ensure that every year 50,000 to one lakh jobs are created in Seemandhra, the IT minister said Azim Premji evinced interest in expanding the services of Wipro into other parts of Andhra Pradesh. “After Wipro, other major players like Tech Mahindra will also invest in AP,” he said.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu requested Mr Premji to expand their operations in Tirupati, Vijayawada and Kakinada.
Mr Naidu asked the the Wipro chief to ensure that Azim Premji Foundation offer its graduate and post-graduate programmes to top AP students and subsequently absorb them into their organisation.
It is also requested that the foundation help the state on curriculum, assessment, educational leadership and management, policy issues and advocacy besides starting concept schools and providing free quality education to the local community and develop innovative fonts in Telugu language for localisation and content development.
Reacting to these requests, Mr Premji said that WIPRO was committed to additional employment of 7,000 in Visakhapatnam, to enhance the activity of training teachers in primary education, undertake anganwadi training and awareness programmes in healthcare and start an institute for training technicians in health care on medical devices such as CT Scan, MRI, ultrasound among others.
Appreciating the gesture by Mr Premji, Mr Naidu sought the support of Wipro in developing the new state of Andhra Pradesh.
