An artist’s impression of Quantum Park

Siliguri, April 7: An “incubation” centre for IT companies will come up in Siliguri to help interested entrepreneurs open shop in this part of Bengal.

Webel, the state government’s nodal IT agency, will set up the centre and help investors acquire land, get high-speed data communication facility and manpower. “A study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers on our behalf revealed that after Calcutta, Siliguri is the second best destination for IT companies in the state…So the decision to set up the centre,” said Debesh Das, the state IT minister. The incubation centre will be part of Webel Park, an infrastructure to house IT companies at Paribahan Nagar, the foundation stone for which was laid on Saturday. The Calcutta-based Rungta Group will build a similar infrastructure at the same location to be known as Quantum Park.

The Rungta group’s park would have a floor area of 1.50 lakh sqft where the realtor group would invest around Rs 20-25 crore. Companies opening shop here is likely to generate employment for at least 1,000 people. Webel’s investment would be around Rs 50 crore for its park, which would cover 3.50 lakh sqft. The projected employment is 3,000.

Santosh Rungta, chairman of the group, said the first phase of construction is expected to be complete by February 2009. “We expect to finish the second phase by December the same year. Our target industries include IT, ITES, BPOs, healthcare, banking and telecom companies,” he said.

State urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya said the Infinity Group would invest Rs 100 crore in the 26-acre earth station set up by Software Technology Parks of in India in Matigara. “The Bengal Universal Unitech will also open a park. Bengal Peerless will construct a multi-utility centre for BPOs and KPOs at Dagapur.”

A Siliguri-based realtor group is coming up with another IT Park off Sevoke Road, the construction of which would commence soon, the minister said.