Kangra software Tech Park to be ready by Dec: Butail

The Incubation Centre of the Software Technology Park of India (STPI) at Chaitru village in Kangra district is nearing completion and is expected to be handed over by December this year, said Gokul Butail, Principal Adviser (Innovation, Digital Technologies and Governance) to Chief Minister, here.

Butail said that the project with an estimated cost of Rs 18.29 crore had been developed on two acres at Chaitru village near the Gaggal Airport and leased to the STPI for 99 years at a token rent of Re 1 per bigha per month. This IT park would further be expanded in the adjoining 29 kanals.

Once operational, the centre would provide state-of-the-art incubation facilities for IT start-ups and was also expected to support 15 to 20 budding entrepreneurs, generating employment for around 400 persons over the next five years.

He said that this facility would include a plug-and-play incubation area, an auditorium, conference and meeting rooms, network operation centre, guestrooms and office space. The centre would have a total built-up area of 35,602 sq ft, offering both raw and ready-to-use incubation spaces with seating for 106 professionals.

A similar STPI centre at Mehli near IT Bhawan in Shimla is also nearing completion, with its final handover also expected in the next couple of months, he said. "Together, the two centres are part of the Himachal government’s effort to promote IT investments in the hill state and attract entrepreneurs from across northern India", he added.

The Cabinet had approved the initiative in August 2018 and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Department of Digital Technologies and Governance and the STPI was signed in June 2019.

Butail said that one of the first firms, M/s RevCatalyst Technologies Pvt. Ltd., had already been allotted 1,854 sq ft of space at the Chaitru incubation centre.