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UP has potential to attract investments in the IT sector:TV Mohandas Pai
“I will urge the CM to develop an eco-system so that youngsters are encouraged to stay in the state and do innovation, engage themselves in start-ups and become entrepreneurs, so that they generate employment for others.”
TV Mohandas Pai, president of the All-India Management Association (AIMA) and chairman of Aarin Capital, was in Lucknow on Tuesday to take part in a conference on ‘Leadership in the Age of Disruption’. It was jointly organised by the Lucknow Management Association, AIMA and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University.
In an interview to Rajeev Mullick, Pai talked about his visit to the city and proposed meeting with CM Yogi Adityanath.
Excerpts:
You are meeting CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday. What are you going to discuss?
I will urge the CM to develop an eco-system so that youngsters are encouraged to stay in the state and do innovation, engage themselves in start-ups and become entrepreneurs, so that they generate employment for others. Else, youth will go away to other states or abroad in search of better prospects that will adversely hit the economy of UP and the country. As the CM of the most populous state, he has a special responsibility.
Do you believe that UP can become an IT hub?
Yes, it has. If the state government is supportive, UP will be able to attract more investments in the IT sector. UP is a big state with huge human resources. But barring Noida, the rest of the state has a long way to go. It is an exciting time, and if India has to grow, then UP should not be left behind. The state must create more jobs.
Which state in the country is doing well in IT sector?
Look at Karnataka, where 15 lakh people are working only in the IT sector (25,000 IT companies). Bengaluru exports software of Rs 3 lakh crore and those engaged in the sector earn Rs 1,60,000 crore wages annually. The city has 800 laboratories owned by big companies.
How do you view UP’s economy?
The wealth of any state will depend on intellectual capital that will necessarily come through good educational institutions. At present, there are too many engineers but very few are employable. With quality technical education, this area can be addressed. The gap between academia and industry needs to be reduced. Further, a massive apprenticeship programme, funded by the government, is needed.
You have said that freshers in IT are poorly paid?
Yes. That’s the problem with the Indian IT (industry). It is not paying its freshers well. In fact, big companies are talking to each other not to increase their salary.
