At IT park, a support centre soon

Varinder Bhatia, Chandigarh
The Indian Express

The Entrepreneur Development Centre (EDC) at Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (RGCTP), a joint initiative of the Chandigarh Administration and the Centre, is likely to start functioning in a few months. The EDC has been envisioned as a support system for the IT park and is expected to enhance software exports from Chandigarh.

The centre will assist young entrepreneurs set up businesses by providing shelf space or space with plug-n-play facilities at the building. The EDC will also house administrative offices of the UT Information Technology department as well as myriad IT software export companies, which do not have a building of their own.

A Regional Cyber Security and Research Centre is also being set up in collaboration with NASSCOM at the EDC. The centre will assist the state police in tackling cyber crimes and provide technical inputs relating to security of Intellectual Proprietary Rights.

The EDC project is on the lines of the SPIC Incubation Centre at Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12, where several IT companies have already been provided internet bandwidth connectivity for software export.

Software exports from the Chandigarh region have increased manifold in the last three years. In 2005, software exports amounted to Rs 56 crore; this year the figure has crossed Rs 400 crore. In 2007-08, the figure was Rs 678 crore. For 2008-09, the UT Administration has set a target of Rs 850 crore.