Kochi: Wipro Technologies Limited, has formally announced its decision to build a key centre in Kochi for its future operations, using the built-up space at the Kakkanad Infopark to start with and later developing its own campus on a 24-acre plot there. The agreements for the operations were signed here on Monday.

The industries and IT minister, P K Kunhalikutty, the Infopark CEO, K G Girish Babu, the IT secretary, Aruna Sundararajan, and a team from Wipro comprising Hari Hegde, general manager (operations), Wipro Technologies, V R Ganesh, head, real estate, technology division, Wipro Ltd., and M Balagiridhar, chief information officer and head (facilities), Wipro Infotech, were present on the occasion.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated a Smart Business Centre (SBC) at the SDF-IT building in the Infopark, which is described as the country''s first state-of-the-art `plug and play'' facility offering an environment for companies to begin operations promptly.

Wipro''s decision to begin operations from here has given a boost to the government''s efforts to promote the city and the state as a key IT destination. The presence of such a big player, which currently stands third among the nation''s top IT software and services exporters, is expected to pave the way for a radical change in the IT profile of the state.

The company, which notched up export earnings to the tune of Rs3,920 crores during 2003-04, has taken on lease the entire top floor of the SDF-IT building. The building, with fully furnished office space and `plug and play'' facilities, can accommodate 75 personnel. Wipro Infotech, which focuses on operations in India, the Middle East and Australia, will start functioning from here in a few weeks.

Wipro has also been allotted 14.26 acres in the Infopark on a 90-year lease for eventually developing its own centre. Hegde handed over a demand draft for Rs3.4 crore to Kunhalikutty towards the lease amount. The centre that will come up on this plot could accommodate about 4,000 seats, on which the company would spend about Rs3 lakhs a seat, Hegde said.

The company has formally sought an additional 25 acres in the park. The company will take up software development in Kochi, but its priorities will be dictated by the emerging industry trends, its officials said.

Meanwhile, the Infopark authorities have drawn up plans to construct a new building offering 1,00,000 square feet of built-up space exclusively for the ITeS (IT-enabled Services) industry. The design of the building is ready and the tendering process would begin next month.

Work on an eight-storeyed building with an area of 2,00,000 square feet is progressing and it will be ready for occupation by November this year. Eleven companies from the US, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Dubai and India have already occupied the SBC, which is made up of ten office suites with a total built-up area of 11,800 square feet. The companies are Calpine Technologies, ExSyst Inc, Harmonicus, Indigo Concepts, Digiterra Broadband Software, Armia Systems, Promyx, Amlaki Information Systems, Bang Software Technology, Vanilla Networks Pvt. Ltd and IDSI.

K. Babu, MLA, inaugurated the redesigned website of the Infopark on the occasion