Chandigarh IT Park – The Silicon Valley of North India
Chandigarh IT Park – Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab and Haryana, is fast emerging as a major IT and startup hub of North India. The Chandigarh Technology Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park, spread over 55 acres, is home to numerous IT companies, BPOs, R&D centers, and several promising startups.
Establishment and Key Milestones
The Chandigarh Technology Park was set up in the early 1990s to promote the IT and IT industry in the region. The initial land for the park was allotted in 1990 and became operational in 1994 after Infosys set up its development center here. Some of the key milestones over the years are:
- 1994: Infosys opens its first center with 50 employees
- 1998: Park awarded ISO-9001 certification
- 2003: Flextronics, Quark, and Tech Mahindra open centers
- 2009: Park expansion with 45 new acres allotted
- 2011: IBM, Dell & Tech Mahindra expand operations
- Today: Home to over 200 companies with 30,000 employees
Intelligent Layout and World Class Infrastructure
Spread across 55 acres; the Chandigarh IT Park has been thoughtfully designed considering sustainability, environment-friendliness, and intelligent use of space. The entire campus has been divided into 5 phases with neat demarcated plots for companies according to their requirements. There is also ample open and green space and provisions for utilities like electricity, water supply, sewerage, etc.
Some of the infrastructure highlights include:
- 24×7 electricity backup via gas-based power generators
- Robust fiber optic network by leading telecom operators
- Premium office spaces and plug-n-play facilities for companies
- Food courts, retail outlets, banks, and ATMs on campus
- Well-maintained roads and walkways with trees on both sides
The park exhibits global standards of infrastructure combined with green building norms. This makes it an ideal location for technology companies setting up or expanding operations.
Incentives for IT Companies
Being an IT special economic zone, the technology park offers attractive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for companies as per SEZ schemes by the central government. Some of the key benefits are:
- 100% income tax exemption for the first five years, 50% for the next five years
- Exemptions from customs/excise duties, sales tax and service tax
- Simplified bureaucratic procedures and paperless operations
- Subsidized rates for office spaces for the first few years
- Capital equipment imports at zero customs duty
- Huge talent pool of engineers from North Indian states
Such incentives, excellent infrastructure, and strategic location have made Chandigarh IT Park the preferred hub for many domestic and global majors looking to tap the region’s vast potential.
Key Companies and Sectoral Breakup
The Chandigarh Technology Park is sector-agnostic and houses companies across IT services, software product development, R&D, BPOs, hardware manufacturing, and other emerging segments like IoT, AI, Big Data, etc. (Chandigarh IT Park)
Some of the major companies at the park include:
- Infosys
- Tech Mahindra
- Dell
- IBM
- Quark
- Airtel
- Techno Struct
- Convergys
- STPI
The sectoral breakup indicates:
- IT software services: 50%
- BPO / ITES: 30%
- Hardware & Telecom: 10%
- Emerging Technologies: 10%
This healthy mix creates synergy and makes the park conducive for all technology companies.
The Startup Ecosystem
The Chandigarh administration and key academic institutes like PEC University of Technology and Punjab University have taken multiple initiatives to support the local startup ecosystem. Key enablers like incubators, funding channels, mentoring, and infrastructure support have helped several innovative startups take root here. (Chandigarh IT Park)
Successful startups born in Chandigarh that have achieved national scale include:
- Flock: Team communication app
- Rovo: AI-powered cleaning robot
- Jugnoo: Auto-rickshaw aggregator
- Entri: Vernacular education app
Several other startups are making a mark in agritech, health tech, fintech, and other sunrise sectors. The prevalence of large IT services majors and access to top talent make the Chandigarh IT Park an ideal launchpad for tech startups looking to build innovative solutions and scale up operations. (Chandigarh IT Park)
Boosting Employability and Creating Jobs
The exponential growth of Chandigarh’s IT sector has led to massive job creation and enhanced employable skills in the region. As per 2017 estimates, there were over 1.25 lakh qualified engineers in the Chandigarh Tricity region, comprising graduates from Panjab University, PEC University of Technology, and other institutes.
With top companies present across domains, Chandigarh Technology Park continues to attract the best talent from the region and across India to fill its 30,000+ jobs across levels and functions. Students eagerly take BTech/MTech courses and enroll in specialized IT training to make themselves job-ready.
The park has also led to growth in supporting sectors like transportation, facility management, food services, maintenance, and construction – creating a thriving services ecosystem. Support for women’s employment has also increased, with most majors adhering to 50% gender diversity in the workforce. (Chandigarh IT Park)
Laying the Foundation for the Next Phase of Growth
As the Chandigarh IT Park nears full capacity in the current 55-acre campus, the administration has already allotted an additional 80 acres to set up Phase 6. This next expansion phase will allow at least 150 more companies across a million sq. ft. of built-up area.
Proposed plans for boosting connectivity and urban infrastructure in Chandigarh such as:
- Expanding international airport capacity
- Rapid metro rail connectivity to Mohali/Panchkula
- Wide, picturesque boulevards with dedicated cycle tracks
- Additional social infrastructure and weekend tourism circuits encompassing Shimla/Kasauli/Chail hills
This will further enhance the livability quotient and make Tricity the most attractive region in North India – ushering in the next round of growth and development led by technology and entrepreneurship. (Chandigarh IT Park)
Conclusion
In its 25+ years journey, the Chandigarh Technology Park has become the torchbearer for the city’s IT revolution, creating a thriving innovation hub supporting over 200 companies and providing 30,000 jobs. With its excellent infrastructure, lush green environs, and strong industry-academia linkages, the park continues to attract technology majors from across India and globally.
As Chandigarh builds on its reputation as one of India’s most livable cities, the synergy between advanced urban infrastructure and the technology park ecosystem will enable it to emerge as North India’s leading IT and startup destination in the coming decade. (Chandigarh IT Park)
FAQ
Here are detailed answers to your questions:
How big is the IT park in Chandigarh?
Chandigarh does not have a designated IT park. However, clusters of IT companies are located in different parts of the city, mainly in sectors 17, 34, and 67, and the Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park. No official details are available on the total area occupied by IT companies in Chandigarh.
Which city is known as IT Park in India?
No city in India is officially or popularly known as an “IT Park.” However, cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Noida, and Gurgaon have several large IT parks and host a major chunk of India’s IT industry. Bangalore is also known as the “Silicon Valley of India” due to its concentration of IT companies.
Which is the first largest IT park in India?
HITEC City, located in Hyderabad, Telangana, is considered India’s first and largest IT park. Established in 1990, it spans over 250 acres and houses over 500 IT/ITES companies, including giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple.
How many major IT parks are there in India?
There are over 100 established and upcoming IT parks across major cities in India. Some of the major and well-known IT parks include HITEC City (Hyderabad), Mahindra World City (Chennai, Jaipur), DLF Cyber City (Gurgaon), EPIP Zone (Whitefield, Bangalore), Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park (Pune, Chandigarh), Sector V Salt Lake Electronics Complex (Kolkata).
Which is the greenest IT park in India?
Mahindra World City in Chennai claims to be India’s greenest IT park. It has received a Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for its green building practices focused on sustainable architecture, renewable energy usage, water management, waste management, and environmental conservation.
What is another name for a technology park?
Other names used for a technology park include science park, research park, technology hub/cluster, innovation center/hub, and R&D park. But “IT park” is the most commonly used term in India.
Why is IT called the park?
IT parks are so named because of their strategic master-planned infrastructure, amenity services, and green cover resembling a modern park/garden, which aims to provide a stimulating environment for knowledge-based companies in the IT and IT-enabled services domain to operate and interact.
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