TCS planning to inaugurate its Vizag office within three months, says Nara Lokesh

IT Minister Nara Lokesh entering the district court to attend the cross-examination in a defamation case he had lodged against a Telugu daily, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
| Photo Credit: V. Raju

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will open its office in Visakhapatnam within the next three months, IT Minister Nara Lokesh said, adding that the IT major will initially begin operations from a temporary location in the city which is likely to be the Millennium Towers in Rushikonda.

The Minister said he had also concluded a positive round of talks with another IT major Cognizant during his recent visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, and said he would share the good news soon.

Mr. Lokesh was in Visakhapatnam for a cross-examination in a defamation case lodged by him against a Telugu newspaper, at the 12th Additional District Court on Monday. However, the case was adjourned to February 28. Later, speaking to reporters outside the court, Mr. Lokesh said that the government has set itself a target to create five lakh IT jobs in the next five years in Visakhapatnam alone.

“TCS is looking for an ideal location to set up its permanent campus in the city. Once it is finalised, it may take two to three years for its construction,” Mr. Lokesh said.

“We are keen on exploring opportunities in deep tech, big data and AI. Our government has decided to provide lands to the first 500 IT companies at very low rates compared to any other State in the country,” Mr. Lokesh said, noting that a similar facility was given to HCL Technologies in Vijayawada where the company is now in expansion mode. He said that the government was also mulling to set up a Global Capability Centre (GCC).

“I am in regular consultations with IT firms in Vizag, and the government is ready to meet their demands. The government has already resolved issues like bus connectivity, street-lighting and police patrolling. I will have a meeting with with the Finance Minister to discuss the incentives to be offered to these units,” he said, adding that the government was committed to building an ideal ecosystem for IT companies.

Taking a swipe at former IT Minister and YSRCP leader Gudivada Amarnath and other YSRCP leaders for their “disparaging remarks” on the Davos visit, Mr. Lokesh said the opposition leaders should desist from spreading misinformation and said in the last seven months alone, the NDA government has succeeded in attracting investments worth ₹6.33 lakh crore which can generate employment for 4.10 lakh people.

“Not only did the YSRCP government fail to bring any investments to the State, but it also forced many businesses such as the Amara Raja Group to leave Andhra Pradesh,” Mr. Lokesh remarked.

Reacting to the shock decision of V. Vijaya Sai Reddy to resign from both the YSRCP and the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Lokesh said: “When even Jagan’s mother and sister are unable to get respect within the YSRCP, we can imagine how it must be for other leaders.” When asked about the cases of corruption and land-grabbing against Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy, Mr. Lokesh said that the law would take its own course regardless of the former YSRCP stalwart’s decision to leave politics.

When asked about the assurances made by him during his ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra, Mr. Lokesh said that they have prepared estimates for implementing the assurances, and that discussions were on with the Finance Minister.