Salim Group may invest in Bengal’s IT sector

The Economic Times, 7 Mar, 2008, 0029 hrs IST,Sutanuka Ghosal

KOLKATA: After the chemical hub and expressways, the Indonesia-based Salim Group is poised to invest in West Bengal’s IT sector. The state government has offered a 97-acre plot to New Kolkata International Development (NKID) at Kalyani for setting up an IT Park.

Confirming the development, NKID co-promoter Prasoon Mukherjee told ET: “We have just received a letter from the state commerce and industries department inviting us to set up an IT park at Kalyani. The government will have to provide land to us for the park. We will set up the IT infrastructure there.”

Incidentally, NKID is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) floated by Indonesia’s Salim Group, Delhi-based realty firm Unitech and NRI entrepreneur Prasoon Mukherjee’s Universal Success for setting up a number of infrastructure projects in the state including the chemical hub at Nayachara island.

Mr Mukherjee said that the size of the project has not yet been decided. “We received the letter a few days back. We now have to work on the project proposal. The land, which is with the state government, will also have to come to us,” he added. Salim Group has an international expertise in IT projects.

Unitech Group has already forayed into creation of IT space in the country. In the next three years, Unitech has plans to develop close to 22 million square feet of IT/ITeS space in the country. “Universal Success is already developing some 45 lakh square feet of IT space at Rajarhat along with Unitech Ltd. We have already received SEZ status for this facility. Therefore, implementing an IT park will not pose any problem. We need the land from the state government only,” Mr Mukherjee said.

In fact, NKID has taken the in-principle decision to pay the cost of acquisition upfront for all its projects.