82 percent of our IT graduates have to leave Goa ... - Herald

IT’s not working! October 16, 2012 TEAM HERALD teamherald@herald-goa.com PANJIM: Eighty-two percent of over 1,000 Information Technology (IT) graduates from Goa's technical education institutions migrate to other States or go abroad every year. This is when the State has been touting itself as the next “big IT destination" for the past years. Addressing a press conference, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Manguirish Pai Raikar on Monday said, "82 percent of our IT graduates have to leave Goa to get jobs in other cities such as Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad or Chennai or go overseas.” He stressed that State needs more companies related to IT industry, to give a boost to employment of IT graduates. Rajiv Gandhi IT habitat inaugurated in 2006 has not taken off even six years later, and with the new Government revoking the land allotment done earlier, it is expected that the project is likely to be delayed further. The future of Socorro IT project is also uncertain even though Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who also holds the IT portfolio, had declared that he would give the much needed thrust to IT-related projects. The Government has identified IT and ITeS as a major thrust area in its 2012 Budget. “While Goa has been always talked about as an ideal location for IT and ITeS sector, this industry has not grown in Goa,” he said. He further said they arrived at the number about Goan youth seeking employment elsewhere through a survey that GCCI conducted in association with Goa Institute of Management (GIM). GCCI has pointed out to a series of reasons for failure of IT industry in Goa, one of which is political instability and Government apathy towards the industry in general. Raikar said a synergy between Government and IT industries would go a long way in arresting the ‘brain drain’, which was primarily caused by the dearth of jobs in the State. However, he said, Goa being a small State, may possibly not be able to accommodate big players in IT industry, that need huge manpower to set up their centres but at the same time, Goa’s educational profile, high literacy rate of almost 90 per cent, familiarity of the local population with English and ready infrastructure would make for an ideal ambience for small IT companies which want to start operations here. With an aim to create a platform for IT industries in Goa, GCCI’s IT Committee is organizing a one day interactive seminar on ‘Alternate Delivery Models in IT Industry’ on November 3 where industry veterans both from within and outside the State will discuss the type of business models that will work best for a small State such as Goa. There will be two sessions, one for core IT industry and another for ITeS industry. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/IT-rsquo-s-not-working/65693.html