It gives me great pleasure to address you on the occasion of the inauguration of the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park. It is indeed befitting that this significant project, spread over an area of 123 acres in the first phase, should be named after our former Prime Minister, late Shri Rajiv Gandhi. He was a great visionary with a passion for IT and strongly advocated the use of technology in all its facets for taking India to the forefront of the economies of the world.

Large scale employment opportunities for our youth, in the services sector as a whole, and particularly in the IT and BPO sectors, are enabling young people with appropriate educational backgrounds to be part of the momentum that is taking India forward towards becoming a prosperous nation. More and more cities and towns of our country are attracting investment from knowledge companies wanting to tap into our skilled manpower base. They span a wide spectrum of activities - from high end Research and Development and software development to call centres and outsourcing of other forms. Chandigarh is one of the cities which is poised to join the front ranks of IT cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a region which has been the granary of India. It has been the pioneer of the Green Revolution which transformed Indian agriculture. The hard work of the farmers of the region has made this possible and the states of this region are among the most prosperous in the country. Unfortunately, the growth momentum generated by the growth of agriculture in the 60s and 70s has not been maintained in the last decade. Industrialisation of the region, which was necessary for the second round of transformation has lagged behind other regions. When I talk to industrialists, they talk of the immense potential of this region. They also talk of the infrastructure deficit which is a constraint in realising this potential.

If the region is to continue as the most prosperous one in India, it needs a second wave of development. This has to be anchored around rapid industrialisation and the growth of the services sector. The growth of the knowledge economy, the possibilities of outsourcing being opened up by technological developments and the rapid integration of the Indian economy into the global trading system are throwing up enormous opportunities which are waiting to be tapped. Chandigarh, and the region around it, has the right human resource base to tap into this favourable environment and lead the region to a new dawn. I am certain that the Chandigarh Technology Park will be the turning point in the economic transformation of the region.

Chandigarh is the hub of North India and has, over the years, transformed itself into a city of economic importance. The growth of the technology revolution in the country was earlier limited primarily to a few states, which took the lead in attracting investment from Indian and foreign multi-national companies. Of late, however, technology investments have been spreading and Chandigarh has become a popular destination for companies in the knowledge sector. Dell Computers, Quark, Infosys and DLF here in the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park have ushered in a new era of prosperity and technological innovation in this region.

It is significant that this Technology Park has attracted interest not only from Indian firms like Infosys but also from multinationals like IBM. The Technology Park would consist of flexible options for large and small companies including an Entrepreneur Development Centre which will also consist of a state of the art plug and play research facility. This would enable small companies to occupy space on an incubation basis. With an employment potential of over 20,000 in the IT/BPO sector and many other persons in the tertiary sector, this Technology Park can be the anchor of many such projects in the region. I am happy to note that companies such as Infosys and DLF are investing a total of about Rs.500 Crores in the park thereby boosting the economy of the region as a whole.

I understand that the first phase of this Park is already booked and a second phase is being developed adjacent to this which will also be an Integrated Technology Habitat which will provide support facilities and infrastructural backup to the occupants of this Park. This will include housing, community infrastructure and commercial areas. All modern amenities required by professionals would be available here. By planning this project in a holistic manner, Chandigarh Administration has displayed foresight and planning which is commensurate with the character of this beautiful city planned by Le Corbusier and conceived by Pt. Nehru as a modern capital city.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Such planned development is essential to sustain the comparative advantage that our country enjoys by virtue of having a large reservoir of qualified youth who are second to none in their ability to deliver high value services. It is necessary that all Technology Parks in the country have such a provision for related facilities so that infrastructural deficiencies do not reduce the attractiveness of our country. It is vital that projects such as this one should be planned with a long term vision so that they contribute to the growth of the city and benefit the local population rather than increasing the burden on the city's infrastructure.

I am also happy to note that the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park has been declared a Special Economic Zone by the Ministry of Commerce. By becoming one of the first IT sector- specific SEZ's in the country, this Park can show the way to other such developments in the region. Yesterday, I saw a presentation to set up a bio-technology corridor in Punjab. Our government will do all that is possible to make this corridor a reality so that Punjab can be a bio-technology hub, not only in India but for the world. This is the way to the future. We must make it happen.

I understand that the Chandigarh Training on Soft Skills (C-TOSS) programme launched by the Administration in schools and colleges of the city and neighbouring States has been a significant factor contributing to the interest generated among technology companies, especially BPO companies, in investing here. Human resource upgradation is indeed an area which is bound to result in gains for any region, and by augmenting the level of education and training through programmes such as this, regions can reap the benefits of the growth of the IT and IT enabled services sector.

I am also told that the IT for Society programme launched in Chandigarh to supplement the e-Sampark programme, has won the National Golden Icon Award for Process Re-engineering. This is a model which can be replicated by other States and UTs in India. This project will provide IT enabled information and facilitation to the residents of the city, to build on the gains of the e-Sampark Project which is already providing 80,000 people with quality single window services.

I would like to congratulate the Administrator, Gen Rodrigues and his team for the initiatives undertaken by them, to improve factor productivity for increased prosperity, and for reaching out to all citizens. Chandigarh is a city where people are aware and alert, and new initiatives can be quickly implemented. I wish all success to the endeavours here.

Jai Hind.