Wipro first to unveil mega spend in AP

• Offers to set up IT SEZ at Visakhapatnam
• To invest Rs 500 crore, provide jobs for 6,400
• Government to provide 3 acres of land
• Premji seeks 50 acres for soap & fatty acids plant
• Meets KCR, explains his expansion plans in Hyd
• KCR to invite him after industrial policy rollout

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments are vying with each other in trying to attract investments. Though politically there has been a controversy in regard to having a common capital, this has turned into an advantage for the industrialists as they are able to meet the Chief Ministers of both the states, quickly assess the advantages and disadvantages and take a decision on how much to invest and where.

The latest in the series to call on both the Chief Ministers, N Chandrababu Naidu of AP and K Chandrasekhar Rao of TS, was Chairman of Wipro group Azim Premji. During his meeting with Naidu, the IT major expressed his intention to expand the operations of Wipro in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 500 crore.

According to Information Technology Minister P Raghunath Reddy, the Wipro chairman sought approval to develop an IT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Naidu agreed to the request. The SEZ will come up on three acres of land. The facility comprising five lakh sqft will create an employment of 6,400 over the next five years Reddy said Wipro was allotted 7.14 acres of land at Rs.80 lakh per acre in 2004-05 with an employment commitment of 2,000. Out of this, the company constructed 2 lakh sqft space in four acres and is presently employing 650 professionals. The SEZ will come up on the remaining land. Naidu agreed to the NOC and requested him to expand to other locations like Tirupati, Vijayawada and Kakinada. Premji also sought 50 acres of land near Hindupur, the constituency represented by Naidu’s brother-in-law N Balakrishna to set up soap manufacturing and fatty acids manufacturing plant. The minister said the plant would see investment of Rs 500 crore. According to the minister, Tech Mahindra was also coming forward to expand its operations in Visakhapatnam. The Wipro chairman also offered to train teachers in primary education, undertake Anganwadi training and awareness programme in healthcare for protection and augmenting women and child welfare schemes. He later called on TS Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and discussed the industrial scenario in the state. KCR is said to have reiterated his government’s decision to accord top priority to IT and industrial sectors to give a financial boost to the new state besides providing job opportunities to unemployed youth.

Premji shared his long-standing association with the ‘city of pearls’ and informed the Chief Minister about his company’s plans to expand its base in Telangana. Rao briefed the Wipro chief about Telangana government’s industrial policy including single window system and a special chasing cell in the Chief Minister’s Office. Further, he explained to him about the TRS government’s plans for IT sector and the proposal to make Hyderabad Wi-Fi enabled zone in the coming months. Rao also invited Premji for further talks to work together soon after his government announces the new industrial policy.