JANUARY 6: The state-of-the-art Information Technology park, Seepz++, will be complete by March 2002, adjacent to India's leading electronic export processing zone, SEEPZ. However, while the IT infrastructure is fully geared to support this swanky, 3.50 lakh square feet wide infotech park in Andheri it will take at least six months more for the pot-holed, bumpy roads of MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) to be set right.That may well be the main reason why IT companies have not made any advance bookings for one of the 75 offices in the Seepz++ complex. The cost of the Seepz++ project is estimated to be Rs 50 crore, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and MIDC will bear an additional cost of Rs 45 crore to improve the roads and drainage systems within two years time. ``MIDC will bear two-thirds of the cost for this work, while BMC will contribute one-third of the amount according to our agreement,'' informed Jayant Kawle, CEO of MIDC.He added that the work would begin in a phased programme, starting with the drainage work from Seepz main gate to the Vikhroli-Jogeshwari Link Road.Asked why there were as yet no takers for the 75 offices of 5000 square feet area, Project Manager (IT Parks) Subhash Nage claimed the companies are waiting for the ground floor or plinth level to be completed before making advance bookings.``The location of Seepz++ is ideal for Internet companies and goes with the state's IT policy of `Empowerment through connectivity'. Once we start advertising for the office plots, I'm sure there will be a lot of demand,'' asserted Nage. India's largest IT Park is at Mahape, Navi Mumbai, Chief minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, had laid the foundation stone for Seepz++ on December 27. Its proximity to Mumbai airport (6 kilometres) is also being touted as a great advantage. Maharashtra has attracted over Rs 24,588 crore in foreign direct investments since 1991. It has nearly 25 per cent of the top 500 software companies; the largest number of Internet Service Providers (ISP) and accounts for 30 per cent of the country's software exports.It is therefore surprising that the roads of this very MIDC zone are in such bad shape, and that BMC agreed to reconstruct only after the chief minister took an active interest in the matter.``The location of Seepz++ is ideal to build an Indianised version of Silicon Valley. However, along with the the necessary infrastructure, it is also essential that the government rids itself of the image of red tapism. Only then will the top international IT companies set up offices in the IT park,'' remarked Harish Mehta, the Mumbai president of The indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).However, another entreprenuer based in Thane, Manu Agarwal, said that he would not shift to the IT park as the required power and bandwidth is easily available in Thane. ``I have an Internet solutions provider company, and I am fairly comfortable in operating from here as the state has provided me with the IT infrastructure,'' said Agarwal, who recently won a US patent for designing a computer memory chip.Apart from the Seepz++ IT park, a massive IT Tower 2000 of 4.5 lakh square feet will also be coming up within the main Seepz complex. The rate for the office space is Rs 3150 per square feet.
