Karnataka to unveil new IT policies this month

In a strong bid to boost the information technology industry in the state, the Karnataka government is set to announce three policies on information communication technology, animation and hardware during Bangalore IT.biz 2010, scheduled to be held in the city on 29 and 30 September.

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will unveil the policies, state minister for IT and biotechnology Katta Subramanya Naidu told reporters after a high-level meeting with department officials.

Karnataka will be the first state in the county to announce policies on animation and hardware. The policy would see the setting up of an animation academy to streamline the arts and animation schools, said IT and BT secretary Ashok Kumar Manoli. Apart from training, the academy would also provide jobs to the trainees. The Union government will provide financial help to promote the animation sector, he said.

''The animation industry is growing very fast. There are vast opportunities in this sector. We want to cash in on the opportunities,'' Manoli said. The hardware policy will mainly focus on research and development, and chip design, he said.

''The state will unfold its new policy on hardware and animation either on October 28 or 29, besides the ICT policy,'' Naidu further said.

The first phase of Karnataka's Rs1 lakh crore information technology investment region (ITIR) will come up on about 10,000 acres at Devanahally near Bengaluru International Airport and would take off by the first week of December. The state has notified 2,072 acres for the project and another 8,000 acres would be notified in a week, he said, adding that the government was acquiring only non-agricultural land for the mega project.