The Hindu : Karnataka News : Infosys gives a `good' report on infrastructure front

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 24, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Infosys gives a `good' report on infrastructure front

By Our Staff Reporter

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, greeting the Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Ltd., N.R. Narayana Murthy (left), and the Chief Executive Officer of Infosys Technologies Ltd., Nandan Nilekani, during their meeting in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE, DEC. 23. The ice was finally broken between the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and the Infosys Technologies Chairman and Chief Mentor, N.R. Narayana Murthy, at the much postponed, long anticipated meeting held here on Thursday. The latter has given the Government a "good" report card on the progress in the infrastructure projects in the last few months.

As Mr. Murthy indicated, at the press briefing, the meeting which was also attended by Infosys Chief Executive Officer, Nandan Nilekani, successfully ironed out the creases and reassured both Government and the IT sector that neither wanted Bangalore to lose its sheen as the IT capital and its reputation as an investment-friendly city.

Mr. Murthy said: "I am very happy to hear the Chief Minister's assurance on the international airport and the plans being made to get the Hi-tech city project on track."

While Mr. Dharam Singh said the now-somnolent Bangalore Agenda Task Force will soon make a comeback, and described the meeting as a "long-pending one" that cleared many misunderstandings, Mr. Nilekani said the modalities for the revival of BATF will be worked out in the coming days.

Land

While it is widely known that Infosys has sought 100 acres of land for its expansion in the proposed IT Corridor or Hi-tech city, it was an extremely satisfied Mr. Murthy who said his company is looking forward to invest and expand its business and operations in Bangalore. The Chief Minister is said to have agreed in principle to give them the land, although it may not be in a contiguous stretch.

Mr. Murthy, who was pleased at the progress on road improvement on the outskirts of the city, particularly on the Bannerghatta Road, said they will be willing to do whatever the Government wanted them to in retaining Bangalore's IT identity and to create brand equity for the city.

"We are very small, and the Government is doing so much, and we consider it our duty to go along and do whatever it takes," Mr. Murthy said.

Mysore campus

Mr. Murthy had sought the meeting with Mr. Singh to invite him to the inauguration of the new Infosys campus coming up in Mysore on a 300-acre campus.

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is scheduled to inaugurate the campus meant for world-class training in corporate leadership, on February 12. "Since we want Mr. Singh, as the head of the Government to be a part of it we came to invite him and in the course of the meeting, we discussed all these issues "Mr. Murthy said.

Mr. Singh, when asked why a Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology was conspicuously absent in his newly expanded Cabinet, quipped: "it is my prerogative, and I'll do it at my own time." The portfolios were now with him.

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