News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

This article was first published 18 years ago
Rediff.com  » Business » Hyderabad better than Bangalore: Infy CFO

Hyderabad better than Bangalore: Infy CFO

Source: PTI
April 03, 2006 16:21 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Overwhelmed by the 'pro-active' government and infrastructure that are in place in Hyderabad, a senior Infosys official on Monday made no attempt to hide either his admiration for the Andhra Pradesh capital or contempt for the Karnataka capital.

"It's good that Andhra Pradesh is doing what it is doing. Because frankly, Hyderabad has possibly the best infrastructure for IT in India today," Infosys chief financial officer T V Mohandas Pai told reporters in Hyderabad after an industry meet organised by the Andhra Pradesh government.

"Roads are very good. There is a very proactive CM (chief minister). Lot of investors are coming in. If you go to Hyderabad today, you see a sense of newness as if the city is new. There is a great drive to improve the IT industry. So, we are excited," Pai said.

In contrast, he chose to paint a not-so-rosy picture for Bangalore, known as India's Silicon Valley. "Morale of IT industry in Bangalore is low. You can't bash up people in public. People's sentiments are bad. I guess it will take sometime for people to feel wanted."

Asked if he thought Bangalore was losing out, he said he does not want to think that way, but felt it was India that was gaining.

"It's good to have competition between the States. It's good for us to feel wanted. Because we had torrid times in Bangalore when people told us that we are not wanted, that they fear, see us as alien creatures."

"It's good that we are wanted (in Hyderabad). At least Hyderabad wants IT industry. I guess people will go where they are wanted," he said.

Pai said if one looked at the data, one found that in the last two years, companies in Bangalore were investing more outside the city than in it.

About five years ago, Bangalore accounted for 65 per cent of the total

IT capacity of the country. "It has come down to 25 per cent. This trend is going to accelerate."

He then defended the IT industry, saying: "Look, let's admit one thing. We (IT) are the people who invest and create jobs, quality jobs. We are the ones who market. Any place which makes you feel wanted, we will go for expansion."

He said "exciting things" were happening in the cities of Kolkata, Jaipur and Hyderabad, where political leaders were taking deep interest in IT because it brings high quality jobs.

Pai indicated that Karnataka's tax revenues were growing by 20 per cent annually over the last three years mainly because of the IT sector.

"What's growing in Karnataka. It's the IT industry, the garment industry and maybe construction. Construction is being driven by the IT industry. You need an anchor industry and anchor industry (IT) is here."

Asked to comment on Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's view favouring job opportunities for backward class members and rural youth, Pai said: "We have been talking to the government to say that we have created a very unequal system in India, where a great majority of people are deprived of job opportunities in the sunrise industry, primarily because of lack of a good education system."

In rural areas, the education system is pathetic, he said. "People in rural areas are deprived of a good education system because of lack of investment from the government and the language issue."

"My personal view is that not teaching English is a conspiracy against people who are in rural areas, because they are deprived of job opportunities. We are creating an unequal, unfair society. We have been talking to the government they should start special training programme in English so that they get equal opportunities."

Do you want to discuss stock tips? Do you know a hot one? Join the Stock Market Discussion Group.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: PTI© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 

Moneywiz Live!