AGARTALA, August 7 (TIWN):Information technology (IT) industry is the only one that can tackle Tripura’s soaring unemployment, experts said at the 2nd Tripura Conclave. The Conclave on Thursday brought together some top IT honchos, foreign diplomats and senior state government officials , who discussed the challenges and prospects of the IT industry. “Agartala’s emergence as India’s third internet gateway following the India-Bangladesh surplus bandwidth sale agreement opens up huge possibilities for IT industry,” said C.Subramanya, chief technology officer of the Hinduja Global Solutions, the IT arm of the mult-billion dollar Hinduja Group.Subramanya was impressed by the incentives promised for IT industry by M Nagraju, Tripura’s Industry and Commerce Secretary.“ But the state government will really have to work hard to get top IT brands into the state. This calls for a hardsell ,” Subramanya said. “My first impressions of Agartala is very good, it is clean city and I am told you will real fast internet once the submarine cable is drawn from Cox’s Bazar. “ Fast internet and uninterrupted power supply are basic hygiene for the IT industry. Once you have that, the rest is marketing.” Saumen Sarker, vice-president (Global Infrastructure Solutions) of Bank of America , presented a detailed roadmap for developing IT industry in Tripura.

Among the major recommendations he made is immediate creation of a ‘core group’  comprising of IT experts from the state , dynamic bureaucrats and ministers  who would conduct roadshows in IT cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad to attract IT majors like Infosys to Tripura.

He insisted that the political leadership should not let this golden opportunity abegging.

Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh dwelt on the incentives that the state government was keen to provide and insisted that Tripura should not ‘ be tagged with other states in Northeast”.  He carried forward the red carpet for industry , that Nagaraju had stressed in the opening lecture.

“Most other states in the region have major law and order problem, they are short of power,  they have other problems. We should not be equated with them,” Singh said.

Economist Indraneel Bhowmik sasid Tripura’s economic performance and growth during the last ten years in indeed impressive.

“But the state has failed to develop the manufacturing sector  because it has failed to draw investments for industries,” Bhowmik said.

He said the state may find it difficult to develop manufacturing because of lack of raw materials and absence of the economies of scale.

“We have rubber but no tyre manufacturer has come here.”

So, he said, IT is the only industry that can now be developed with the emergence of Agartala as the third internet gateway.

“This is the only industry now with potential to tackle the state’s soaring unemployment.”

Bhowmik said that the state’s leaders should overcome their misconceptions about the IT industry and go all out to attract IT majors in Tripura.

Governor Tathagata Roy  stressed on the strengths and weakness of Tripura as an investment destinations.

“Tripura biggest asset is its political stability. Then we now have power and enough skilled manpower. Our boys and girls are working in IT cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad in some numbers,” Roy said.

He said that with Prime Minister Modi and Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina carrying the bilateral relations to a new high, Tripura now has a chance to overcome its ‘physical and mental isolation’.

“This is the time to overcome the state’s lack of infrastructure and work hard to get investments here.”

The Governor was impressed by the Taiwan model of economic growth – the ‘small yet big’ phenomenon of the small island nation could be replicated for a small state like Tripura, he said.

Before the Governor spoke, Fu-Han Tu, director of the Taipei World Trade Center gave a brilliant power power slide show about Taiwan ‘s rise as a phenomenal producer  of IT hardware and software and hi-tech manufacturing.

His presentations left some glaring lessons for Tripura – a small place can do big things with coordinated planning and integrated work approach.

Eminent journalist Subir Bhaumik, the convenor of the Tripura Convenor along with Saumen Sarker , said it was ‘ now or never’ for Tripura.

“ It is the time for the political leadership to shed the complacency and aim big. “