The West Bengal government is planning to unveil several policy frameworks in emerging areas of Information Technology soon to attract investment in semiconductor, drones, and global capability centre (GCC).
While the government will come up with its semiconductor and GCC policies, it will update existing policy on drones to attract investment.
“In the West Bengal government, all our agencies and ministries are working in tandem to get the GCC policies done. It is almost in the final stages. So is the semiconductor policy. A draft already exists. We are making the necessary amendment to it, making it very up to date,” Babul Supriyo, West Bengal Information Technology & Electronics Minister, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the ninth edition of The Tech Meet organised by Assocham, Supriyo said the GCC policy is likely to come into effect before BGBS next year. The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) is scheduled to be held on February 5 and 6, 2025.
The minister said the government is working in the drone sector to update its existing drone guidelines. “We already have an existing guideline and we are trying to upgrade it and make it more competitive. I have met several young entrepreneurs working in the drone sector and have asked them to come and meet the state government outlining their aspirations and any specific changes that they want. There is also a drone academy in the pipeline,” Supriyo said.
He said spaces are currently “super-saturated” at Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub. “Bengal Silicon valley does not have any space right now. The biggest of companies have come there,” Supriyo said.
According to Manjit Nayak, Director, STPI, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, West Bengal has huge potential and it will look to collaborate with the state government to set up a Centre of Excellence to promote R&D in the field of drones. “India should focus on R&D in drones to scale up manufacturing. Innovation is the key. STPI has set up centre of excellence across the country to facilitate R&D,” Nayak added.