Technopark Kerala
Encyclopedia
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
(Trivandrum), Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India. The park is dedicated to IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
ventures. It is the first and largest technology park in India.
Launched in 1990, Technopark as of 2010 has 400,000 square metres of built-up space, and is home to over 220 companies, employing more than 30,000 professionals. Technopark is currently on an expansion mode by adding another 37 hectares as part of Phase III expansion and 450 acres (1.8 km²) as Technocity—an integrated IT township near Pallippuram. The policy of economic liberalisation initiated by the government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 1991 and the rapid growth of the global software industry during the 1990s substantially contributed to its growth. During the global financial crisis of 2007–2010, the park saw a period of reduced growth in 2009-10, where the exports recorded was only 2.8% more than the previous year. As of late 2010, Technopark accounts for about 70% of IT exports from Kerala.
The units in Technopark include domestic firms, joint ventures and subsidiaries of foreign companies engaged in a wide variety of activities, which include embedded software
Embedded software
Embedded software is computer software that plays an integral role in the electronics it is supplied with.Embedded software's principal role is not Information technology , but rather the interaction with the physical world. It's written for machines that are not, first and foremost, computers...
development, smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
technology, enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
(ERP), process control software design, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and computer-aided design
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
software development, IT Enabled Services (ITES), process re-engineering, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and e-business
Electronic business
Electronic business, commonly referred to as "eBusiness" or "e-business", or an internet business, may be defined as the application of information and communication technologies in support of all the activities of business...
.
Technopark is owned and administered by the Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
and is headed by a Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
. In addition to this, it has a Governing Council and a Program Implementation Board, both of which include top officials of the government. Administrative offices, including that of the CEO, are housed in the Park Centre building. Technopark also hosts a Technology Business Incubation Cell and Software Competency Centre, situated in the Park Centre.
History and mission
In July 1990, the Government of Kerala conceptualized Technopark as a facility to foster the development of high-technology industries in the state. Technopark was set up under the auspices of Electronics Technology Park, Kerala—an autonomous body under the Department of Information Technology of the government of Kerala.Technopark's aim was to create infrastructure and provide support required for the development of high-technology companies. Its stated mission is to "Provide, Viably, Superior Environment and Services with Assured Quality of Service to Make Technology Businesses Intrinsically Competitive And Successful, and Promote Regional Development through Synergistic Linkages Between Industry, Government and Academia, based on Continuous Improvement and Innovation".
The foundation stone for the first building in Technopark was laid on March 31, 1991 by the then Kerala Chief Minister, E.K. Nayanar. Noted industrialist K.P.P. Nambiar was Technopark's first Chairman. Technopark was formally dedicated to the nation by the then Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao in November 1995.
Since then, Technopark has been growing steadily both in size and employee strength. Park Centre, Pamba and Periyar were the only buildings in the beginning. Since then, Technopark has periodically added new buildings such as Nila, Gayathri and Bhavani. With the inauguration of the 850000 sq ft (78,967.6 m²). (85,000 sq m.) Thejaswini on February 22, 2007, Technopark became the largest IT Park in India.
Workforce
As of 2011, Technopark has 232 companies in IT and ITES sector with around 30,000 employed in various sectors.Technopark houses major IT companies like Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, Infosys
Infosys
Infosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
, TCS
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
along with Visual Graphics India Limited, Ernst & Young Global Shared Services Center
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, Allianz
Allianz
SE is a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Its Allianz Global Investors...
, RR Donnelley, UST Global, Tata Elxsi
Tata elxsi
- Introduction : is a technology-led design services company and part of the $70 billion Tata Group. Headquartered in Bangalore and with a global delivery footprint through offices and centers in India, the US, the UK, Japan and Germany, Tata Elxsi is a company focused on delivering outsourced...
, IBS Software Services, NeST Software
NeST Software
NeST Software is a technology company which offers customized software and hardware development services for engineering applications and product development services for customers worldwide. NeST Software, is a division of SFO Technologies and part of the NeST Group of companies...
, SunTec Business Solutions and Flytxt, to name a few. The latest company to evince interest in setting up their facility in Technopark is ITC Infotech
Itc Infotech
ITC Infotech is an IT services company headquartered in Bangalore, India.It was set up in 2000 and provides IT services to companies in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, including India...
.
Institutions
Technopark hosts two prominent educational and research institutes. The Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management–Kerala (IIITM–K) is a premier institution of Higher EducationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and Research and Development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
in applied Information Technology and Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
. In addition to providing post graduate courses in Information Technology, IIITM–K is a leader in Educational Networking and in setting up web portals
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
which benefit the community. Portals for Computational chemistry
Computational chemistry
Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses principles of computer science to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses the results of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into efficient computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of molecules and solids...
and agricultural information dissemination are among its focus areas. IIITM–K is located at present in Park Centre.
The Asian School of Business
Asian School of Business
Asian School of Business is a business school located in Trivandrum, Kerala in India. The school was established in 2005.Its aim is to facilitate and promote studies and research with focus on professional education...
(ASB) is an institution of post graduate management education. ASB was started in 2005. It is currently located inside Technopark and plans to move to a nearby campus in 2007. ASB offers the full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM). The Asian School of Business is managed by a Board of Governors which includes stalwarts of the Indian IT industry like Tata Consultancy Services CEO S. Ramadorai
Subramaniam Ramadorai
Subramanian Ramadorai, CBE is the Advisor to the Prime Minister of India in the National Council on Skill Development, Government of India. He holds a rank equivalent to an Indian Cabinet Minister. He is the current chairman of Tata Elxsi and Vice-Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd...
and Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan.
Infrastructure
Technopark aims to provide all the infrastructure and support facilities needed for IT/ITES and electronics companies to function. In addition to built-up office space, it also provides all utilities as well as the connectivity. This is done either directly or through private partners. In addition, Technopark provides business incubationBusiness incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
facilities for start-up firms as well as some social infrastructure for the personnel working in the park.
Buildings
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
. Seven of the buildings in Technopark are named after rivers in Kerala—the Pamba
Pamba River
Pamba River is the third longest river in the South Indian state of Kerala after Periyar and Bharathappuzha and the longest river in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore...
, the Periyar
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
, the Nila, the Chandragiri, the Gayathri, Bhavani
Bhavani River
The Bhavani is the second largest river in Tamil Nadu, South India and a major tributary of the Kaveri River, the longest river in Tamil Nadu.-Description:...
and the Thejaswini. The seventh building is named Thejaswini and was commissioned in February 2007, with over 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²). (60,000 sq m.) of carpet area. There are also independent buildings of private enterprises inside the Phase I campus named Amstor house and M-square . These buildings aggregate to a total of about 3500000 sq ft (325,160.6 m²). (350,000 sq m.) of space, either complete or under construction.
| Name | Number of floors | Total area (in thousand sq ft) |
Number of elevators | Generator backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pamba | 4 | 60 | None | 50% |
| Periyar | 4 | 60 | None | 50% |
| Chandragiri | 4 | 57 | 2 | 100% |
| Gayathri | 3 | 129 | 4 | 100% |
| Nila | 7 | 400 | 6 | 50% |
| Bhavani | 6 | 480 | 6 | 100% |
| Thejaswini | 12 | 850 | 8 | 100% |
| TCS Peepul Park | 4 to 5 | 325 | N/A | 100% |
| IBS Campus | 4 to 10 | 450 | N/A | 100% |
| Leela Info Park | 12 | 460 | N/A | 100% |
| N/A indicates no information available | ||||
| 10 sq ft.=~1 m². | ||||
- Technopark Club: Includes a gym, swimming pool, restaurant and sporting facilities.
- Techno-mall
- Technopark guesthouse.
- Other privatelyPrivate sectorIn economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
constructed buildings.
Utilities and support facilities
Technopark offers electricity through a 110 KV, 30 MVAAC power
Power in an electric circuit is the rate of flow of energy past a given point of the circuit. In alternating current circuits, energy storage elements such as inductance and capacitance may result in periodic reversals of the direction of energy flow...
dedicated internal power distribution system with built-in redundancies at all levels. Technopark is a licensee for distribution of power in the campus. Water supply is distributed by Technopark through a dedicated distribution system.
Technopark has support facilities such as a satellite earth station, a 200-seater convention centre, a club and guest house, a shopping complex (Techno-Mall), banks, ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s, restaurants and conference rooms on campus. Furthermore, setting up of new units is accelerated by exemption from State level clearances as well as through ready-to-use incubation facilities.
Connectivity
Thiruvananthapuram is connected to the National Internet Backbone and Technopark is serviced by a variety of bandwidth providers, including Reliance Infocomm, Bharti AirtelBharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited , commonly known as Airtel, is an Indian telecommunications company that operates in 20 countries across South Asia, Africa and the Channel Islands. It operates a GSM network in all countries, providing 2G or 3G services depending upon the country of operation...
, Videsh Sanchar Nigam and Asianet Dataline
Asianet
Asianet Communications Limited is an Indian media conglomerate jointly owned by STAR TV and Jupiter Entertainment. Formed in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, the company owns several television channels including Asianet, the first...
, through fibre optic lines in the campus. There is a satellite earth station inside the Phase I campus as well.
FLAG Telecom—a subsidiary of Reliance Infocomm—has landed its FALCON global cable system
FALCON (cable system)
FALCON is a submarine telecommunications cable connecting India and several countries in the Persian Gulf. As part of the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe, the cable is operated by India's Flag Telecom, a fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications....
at Thiruvananthapuram, providing direct connectivity to the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Technopark is connected through fiber link, in self-healing redundant ring architecture to Reliance Internet Data Center and Gateway at Mumbai, directly connecting to FLAG, the undersea cable system backbone that connects 134 countries including U.S, U.K, Middle East and Asia Pacific. This provides connectivity with the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, South East Asia, Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Technopark Business Incubation Centre (T-BIC)
The Technopark Business IncubationBusiness incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
Centre (T-BIC) aims to provide economically plug and play facilities to start-ups in the IT/ITES fields. This facility has given rise to over 47 successful ventures, many of whom have expanded by taking up space elsewhere in Technopark. T-BIC currently has 8000 sq ft (743.2 m²). (800 sq m.) at Park Centre, and this is being expanded with another 10000 sq ft (929 m²). (1000 sq m.) in the newest Technopark building, Thejaswini.
One of the latest companies started at T-BIC is Entiresoft Technologies Private Limited.
Phase II
Technopark has acquired 86 acres (0.35 km².) of land, for its Phase II expansion.- Out of this, 50 acres (0.2 km².) has been earmarked for InfosysInfosysInfosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
and 36 acres (0.15 km².) for UST GlobalUS Technology ResourcesUST Global headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California is a provider of IT services. Stephen J. Ross in 1998 founded UST Global in Laguna Hills....
.- InfosysInfosysInfosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
is planning to create up to 2500000 sq ft (232,257.6 m²). (233,000 sq m.) of space to accommodate up to 15,000 professionals in the end. It plans to set up 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²). (56,000 sq m.) in the first phase. - UST Global is setting up a 1600000 sq ft (148,644.9 m²). campus to be complete by 2011. 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²). of space will be complete by January 2009. Work on the campus was launched on October 24, 2007.
- Infosys
- Tata Consultancy ServicesTata Consultancy ServicesTata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
has been allotted 25 acres (0.1 km².) within the campus for their software development centre. This is in addition to the 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land allotted to them for setting up their new training centre—Peepul Park. - IBS Software Services is constructing a 450000 sq ft (41,806.4 m²). (42,000 sq m.) office on 5 acres (0.02 km².) of land. The first phase of the campus was inaugurated on October 23, 2007.
- Tata ElxsiTata elxsi- Introduction : is a technology-led design services company and part of the $70 billion Tata Group. Headquartered in Bangalore and with a global delivery footprint through offices and centers in India, the US, the UK, Japan and Germany, Tata Elxsi is a company focused on delivering outsourced...
Limited which is the product design arm of the US$ 68 billion Tata GroupTata GroupTata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
, has also taken 3.5 acres (0.01 km².) to build its state of the art design and development Centre. The first phase of the campus has been commissioned on September 7, 2007. - The NeST group has also been allocated land to build a Development Centre, on which work has almost completed.
Phase III
Technopark has almost completed acquisition of 100 acres (0.4 km².) of land for Phase III expansion. Firms like Larsen & ToubroLarsen & Toubro
Larsen & Toubro Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company has four main business sectors: technology, engineering, construction and manufacturing. L&T has an international presence, with a global spread of offices and factories, further...
and the Rahejas are planning major developments within and around Technopark as well. L&T has already announced its plans to set up a 35 acre (0.15 km².) hybrid IT-and-residential park as part of Technopark Phase III. Patni Computer Systems
Patni Computer Systems
iGATE Patni , is a provider of Information Technology services and business solutions. The company employs over 15,000 people, and has 23 international offices across the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as offshore development centres in eight cities in India...
has already announced that it will set up a Rs 150 Crore ($US 32 Million) Development Centre in Phase III.
The IInd and IIIrd phase of expansion of Technopark along with the ramping up of operations of the existing IT units are expected to see an investment of around Rs. 1000 Crore ($US 218 Million) and an additional employment creation of 35,000.
Phase IV expansion — Technocity
The Phase IV of Technopark is also referred to as the Technocity project. It involves a mixed use—IT, biotechnologyBiotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, commercial and residential development spread over 500 acres (2 km².) of land, about 5 km (3.1 mi) from the present campus. This land is currently being acquired. It will be a self contained IT township with the potential to employ a hundred thousand professionals. The expected investment in the project is around Rs 6,000 Crores (Over US$ 1.5 Billion), as per latest estimates.
Once Technocity's land acquisition is complete, Technopark will have an extent of close to 850 acres (3.5 km².), making it one of India's largest IT satellite town
Satellite town
A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of, larger metropolitan areas.-Characteristics:...
ships, in geographic area, comparable to that of projects like the Mahindra World City
Mahindra World City
Mahindra World City may refer to:* Mahindra World City, New Chennai,a premier Special Economic zone in the South of IT Corridor.* Mahindra World City, Jaipur, an integrated business complex in Jaipur...
in Chennai.
The Government of Kerala has decided to partner with multiple private developers for Technocity and has formed a special company — Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) - to take up the work. 204 acres (0.8 km².) out of the project area has already been acquired. A Request for Qualification was issued on 1 June 2008 and nine major developers including international majors Emaar and Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises is a $9-billion diversified real estate management and development company based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Its portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and mixed-use projects in the U.S...
have applied for qualification.
Special Economic Zones in Technopark
There are three Special Economic ZoneSpecial Economic Zone
A Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...
s (SEZs) inside Technopark encompassing Phases I, II and III. Phase IV will also become an SEZ once land acquisition is completed. This provides a range of attractive economic benefits to the companies operating within Technopark
Culture
Technopark houses companies and people from around the world. Indian companies have offices alongside IT and ITES companies from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. This makes for a diverse multi cultural community, working in harmony. To promote harmony in this diversity Technopark has set up a range of facilities and annual events as technical conferences to trekking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
expeditions to the annual fiesta, Tech-a-break.
Technopark Club
The club in the campus of Phase I provides diverse facilities for professionals to unwind. These include a gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, a swimming pool and courts for badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and beach volley ball. The Club also has a massage parlour, Vaisakha—a multi cuisine restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and provides tour operators for organising recreational travel of employees and their families.
The Club often organises multi cuisine food festivals to cater to the tastes of the diverse mix of people in Technopark besides events as discos, cultural competitions, and other events. Performers include well known rock groups, DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and dance performers.
Technopark Adventure Club
The Technopark Adventure Club provides adventure activities to employees of Technopark and their families. It holds activities like parasailingParasailing
Parasailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, rappelling, trekking and camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
camps at Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
and corporate training camps.
The Club aims to take advantage of the diverse environs of Thiruvananthapuram to engage in adventure activities along with enjoying their idyllic beauty and solitude. With an ideal combination of hills, backwaters
Kerala Backwaters
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state...
, beaches
Kovalam
Kovalam is a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. It is located around 13 km from the down town of Trivandrum.-Etymology:...
and forests close to Thiruvananthapuram
Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram district , holds a number of tourist spots. The entire tourism package of the state such as hill stations, back waters, beaches, lagoons, and wild life sanctuaries are present in Thiruvananthapuram district, reflects the beauty of the state Kerala...
, employees don't have to travel too far to indulge in their favourite activities.
Tech-A-Break
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
and ends with performance by top-notch professional bands, dance groups and musicians.
Natana
Natana is a club launched in partnership with the Group of Technology companies-a strategic grouping of IT/ITES enterprises of Kerala. Natana will serve as a platform to create an enabling environment for the IT professionals working in Technopark to nurture their artistic talents and creative aspirations. The objective of the club, Natana is to bring together professionals from the Technopark who are keen to pursue interests in culture, music, films, dance and other forms of traditional arts. The club also aims to facilitate partnerships with cultural organizations locally, nationally and internationally to facilitate cultural exchange programs and also to organize regular cultural evenings, events, film festivals and musicals for the benefit of the professionals in Technopark.Socio-economic impact
Technopark has come to be the single largest source of employment in Kerala, with over twenty thousand people working directly in the facility itself. Thus its impact on the city of Thiruvananthapuram has been very significant.Its cosmopolitan workforce has helped bring diversity to the city's population, along with other national entities like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation , focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme...
, Southern Command HQ of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
, Government of India offices and major educational institutions.
The Government has plans to set up an IT Corridor along the National Highway
Indian highways
The National Highways Network of India, is a network of highways that is managed and maintained by agencies of the Government of India. These highways measured over as of 2010, including over of limited-access Expressways....
-47 (NH 47
NH 47
National Highway 47, commonly referred to as NH 47, is a long highway connecting the city of Salem to Kanyakumari town in southern India...
), starting from Technopark towards Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
.
The influx of high-income IT professionals has also resulted in the arrival of high-end apartment complexes, retail chains, top class hotels and other facilities of a modern city. Other facilities like an improved road network and a high speed transportation avenue along the alignment of the IT Corridor are also in process or being planned. A massive International Convention Center is also coming up nearby, at Akkulam
Akkulam
Akkulam is a neighborhood of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala state in India. It is about 10 km from Thiruvananthapuram city center. It is a well known for the picnic and backwater destination Akkulam Lake, an extension of Veli Lake, where it joins with the sea...
. Being built at a cost of Rs 150 Crores ($US 32 Million) by a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
of the Raheja Group and the Government of Kerala, it will further boost the supporting infrastructure of Technopark.
Flight connectivity with IT hubs like Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and Hyderabad is available from Trivandrum International Airport.
The combined disposable income of Technopark employees has brought an infusion of wealth into the entire region through secondary service activities like retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
, transportation, financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
and so on.
With a potential hundred and fifty thousand IT professionals working in the four Phases of Technopark by 2012,[57] the impact on the economy of the city and its suburbs, with a population of about 2 million, will be significant. [58]
External links
- Technopark official website
- Infopark official website
- Cyberparkkerala.org
- Kerala IT Mission official website, Department of IT, Government of Kerala
- Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited website
- Kerala IT Website
- Technopark Blog - Unofficial
- Technopark Forum - Unofficial
- Technopark Classifieds - Unofficial