What is making IT majors flock to Bihar?

In a major development, focus of various departments across Bihar has shifted to training, capacity building and entrepreneurship development. Several global giants have a close eye on the state's B & C class cities to cut down their cost. Also, with average age of 60% youth in Bihar being around 24 years, which is lowest in the entire country, Bihar has become the favorite destination for investments and creating of quality manpower for long term perspective.

Keeping in tandem with the country's inclusive growth mission towards better e-governance, Department of Personnel, Govt. of Bihar has changed the Service Rules of Group C and Secretariat employees and made Course on Computer Application and Concept (CCAC) training and Certification mandatory for promotion and increment. The course is conducted through National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) (earlier known as DOEACC). Department of IT, Govt. of Bihar is the nodal training cum monitoring body and the training expense will be reimbursed to the employees once they get the certificate. The employees also get approved leave during the training period. Centres across Bihar has been identified and approved under this training program. Astric Centre of Excellence (COE) is one of the premier Institutes approved by Govt. of Bihar for such Govt. capacity building training.

P.K Sinha, director, Centre of Excellence (COE), Astric Computers,said, "It's a unique PPP initiative of Astric Computers and state IT designated agency BELTRON to work as a knowledge cum technology partner in the state. We have redefined ICT as Information; Collaborations & Transformation and are committed to bring the best knowledge and technology in the state for inclusive growth. We are working closely with National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), an autonomous Institute under Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), Government of India to have a formal tie-up with Bihar Knowledge Society and Astric COE for various Industry related courses and certification."

Today capacity building and training in Skill Development has become the need of the hour. Govt. of Bihar has set-up a promotional ICT Policy in order to promote and support the local Industry. Bihar Industry Association has also setup a committee on IT and ITeS services to bring the Government, academia and Industry on a single platform to help and understand each other's need in the present situation.

Government of Bihar has created Bihar Knowledge Society with prime focus on training and development of youth.

The proposed IT Technology Park and Regional Institutes of NIELIT at Bihar is also under way and will create momentum towards taking the Bihar IT train to a new destination.

However it is still felt by many ICT Industry players that lack of social infrastructure and commuting facility between Patna and Bihar is a major hindrance towards development.

This will be resolved once the network of roads between the cities is developed and facilities are in place. Many IT companies like Tata Consultancy Services, HP Education Services, Neveah Technology, Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) has started their offices in Patna and recruited huge number of local talents for several ongoing work related to online examination, data collection, training and solutions. They are now planning to expand in a big way to cater to the increasing needs of the state and cheap skilled manpower availability. Even if they get trained by the employer for a particular skill set, total cost of ownership is far less as compared to other states.

The initiative of National Skill Development Corporation and mandate of State Government to setup Bihar Skill Development Mission under Directorate of Employment & Training (DET) functions with major objectives of catering to challenges of creating a large number of skill development and livelihood opportunities for the poor, increasing labour force and the income levels of working poor in the state. Bihar Rural Livelihood Projects, Department of Rural Development and Department of Employment and Training are keen to implement the appropriate livelihood strategies for the poor and the vulnerable. The mandates are:

• Build and disseminate knowledge
• Skill Enhancement
• Policy Reform and advocacy
• Capacity Building of organizations
• Designing livelihood promotion strategies
• Implementing Pilots

DET lays emphasis on promotion of ‘professionally competent and dedicated implementation structures' at the state, district, and sub-district level for managing and supporting all Skill development and Livelihoods activities. For ensuring that technical assistance and required implementation support is available at every district of the state, DET a consultancy service, which will provide suitable manpower and efficient management support services to make DET operational across all districts of the state. These opportunities have influenced major IT and Consultancy firms to establish a presence in the state.