Dr Piyush Singla chairs Study Group’s meet on establishment of IT Park in J&K

Jammu, Oct 10: Secretary, Information Technology (IT) Department, Dr Piyush Singla chaired the meeting of Study Group constituted for establishment of IT Park in Jammu and Kashmir at Civil Secretariat here Friday.
The meeting was held to review and deliberate upon the preliminary report prepared for setting up a world-class IT Park in the UT.
During the meeting, members held detailed deliberations on the proposed framework and implementation strategy.
The group decided that the preliminary report shall be revisited in light of the observations and directions issued during the deliberations, and updated accordingly by the Study Group to incorporate all relevant suggestions and refinements.
The meeting further decided that the proposed IT Park shall be developed under the aegis of IIT Jammu, with the report to be structured in two phases; Phase I: Development under the Higher Educational Institution (HEI) Model, and Phase II: Expansion through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) / Private Investment Model.
The group also decided that the incentive framework for the IT Park shall be aligned with the notified Industrial Policy of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to ensure uniformity and ease of implementation.
It was also decided that the final report, incorporating all suggestions and recommendations, shall be submitted to the Government for consideration which will include an overview tracing the evolution of the IT/ITeS ecosystem in J&K, details of incubatee funds available with various Administrative departments, and recommendations for creation of a Unified Portal to consolidate incubatee funding opportunities across States and Union Territories, drawing upon national models like the DoT’s Telecom Incubation Fund.
During the meeting, Dr. Singla directed that the Planning department shall provide authentic, validated, and up-to-date data from credible sources like YUVA Report, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative indicators to support evidence-based planning. He emphasized that data validation points must be clearly defined and cross-verified across all departments to maintain accuracy and consistency.
The Secretary also directed the IT department to initiate Skill Outreach Programmes aimed at enhancing employability and preparing the youth for opportunities in the IT/ITeS sector in collaboration with higher educational institutions and Skill Development department.
CEO, JaKeGA, Mahima Madan; Director General (E&S), Ather Hussain Qadri; Director General, Planning; Showkat Mahmood Malik, Special Secretary, Information Technology Department; Prof. M.T. Arvind and Prof. Anurag Misra from IIT Jammu; Professor from IIM Jammu and Senior Consultant, SeMT, besides other officers and members of the Study Group also attended the meeting.