Hubballi: Ever since Infosys revealed plans to open offices in Coimbatore and Vizag as well as four other locations, people in Hubballi have been demanding the software giant begin operations at its Hubballi campus.
Activists from the district had approached K-tech and KITS (Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society) seeking the reason why Infosys has not yet started its operation in January 2021.
Following this, KITS urged Infosys Director Niladri Prasad Mishra to commence operations from Hubballi assuring full co-operation from K-tech and KITS.
In response to this letter, Infosys’ Director said on March 19, 2021, that the company’s operations and expansions are hindered by infrastructure issues concerning business travel. The lack of international flights and the limited domestic flight options, have made it difficult for the company to start or expand operations from North Karnataka, and particularly Hubballi, he added.
Mishra also said that the Hubballi – Dharawad region is in its initial stage of attracting IT industries. The entire ecosystem is still in the nascent stage and is yet to develop in the North Karnataka region.
After multiple requests, a group of like-minded individuals recently submitted a letter ‘Start Infosys Hubli’ to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, seeking the intervention to commence operation in the Hubballi Infosys Campus. The letter was submitted through the Dharawad Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivanand.
The letter stated even after 4.5 years, the Infosys campus has not been operational. The company has expressed concerns regarding the travel infrastructure of Hubballi – Dharawad. It further mentioned that North Karnataka was taken by surprise by the announcement of Infosys on June 20.
Indore, Coimbatore, Vizag, Noida, Nagpur, and Kolkata are likely the locations from which the IT giant would launch its operations. This has left the techies concerned about why the Infosys campus will not become operational in Hubballi.
The group has requested the CM to intervene, meet with Infosys management, and take the necessary actions to start operations at the Hubballi campus.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka Former Chief Minister Jagadeesh Shettar said, “There are many International flights from main Cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Mangaluru. If more International flights need to start operations, then to attract the same, the company first establish itself here, and not the other way round. In Mysuru there are no international flights but still Infosys is set up there”
Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) gave 43.05 acres of land to Infosys to start the IT & ITES industry in 2015. The company started SEZ business operations on June 4, 2018. The Hubballi campus has a capacity of over 1,400 employees.
