We aim at generating five lakh IT jobs in five years: Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh State IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh has said the government aims to generate five lakh jobs in the IT sector in a period of five years.

Replying to the questions raised by MLAs in the Assembly on 21 November, Lokesh pointed out that the then TDP government took the initiative for the establishment of over 150 IT companies in Andhra Pradesh, during the period between 2014 and 2019 and the creation of about 50,000 jobs.

With a focus on Visakhapatnam, several conferences were organised during the period and made a pact with the Adani group for setting up a data centre.

“Even a site was allotted and bhoomi puja performed. But, everything came to a halt with the change of government,” he recalled.

The Minister observed that neither an industry was set nor a conference was held for industrial growth during the YSRCP tenure.

Lokesh alleged that the leaders in the previous government had stooped to a level of demanding share when industrialists had come forward to set up their units in the State.

As a result, none had shown interest in investing in the State, he said.

“After the formation of the alliance government in the State, we started meeting entrepreneurs to invite them to invest in Andhra Pradesh,” claimed Lokesh.

Additionally, “We can proudly say that 20 per cent of IT employees in the world are from the Telugu-speaking States and the credit goes to the initiative taken by Chandrababu Naidu,” said the Minister.

He also mentioned that everything is set for the establishment of the TCS office in Vizag in three months.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu