Kerala IT park projects get SEZ status

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 20 : The central government has formally notified the third phase of the Technopark IT campus here and that at Kollam as special economic zones (SEZ), according to the Kerala government.

In a press release issued here Friday, the IT department said the third phase of the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark will be developed over 92 acres, where the construction of a signature building with one million square feet built-up area has already commenced.

Technopark Kollam will be developed on 40 acres on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake.

The project once complete will have 2 million square feet of built-up space and will provide employment to around 15,000 people.

"Conceptual design for a modern IT building incorporating the green building concept has already been approved for Technopark Kollam," state IT Secretary Ajay Kumar said.

The central government has already notified the Technopark phase one and two expansion projects as SEZs.

Mervin Alexander, chief executive of Technopark, said the first phase of Technopark Kollam is expected to be ready for occupation by early 2011.