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एसटीपीआई - नवी मुंबई

About STPI Mumbai

India has many reasons to feel proud about the success of its Software Industry. During the post liberalization era, Govt. policies have acted as a catalyst and facilitated the growth of IT exports.

The software Industry has attained global recognition primarily because of the timing of the policies and simplistic procedures laid down by the Govt. when they were needed. The Industry also has responded very well to the changes in the policy. The right partnership between the Govt. & Industry has facilitated this success. Establishment of the Software Technology Park Scheme in 1991 has been a step in the right direction, at the right time.

Established on 5th June 1991, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, has since emerged as the growth driver of Indian IT/ITeS/ESDM industry. With a mandate to promote software and electronic hardware exports from the country by implementing Software Technology Park (STP) & Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) Schemes, STPI pioneered the ease of doing business for policy governance in India by building a robust ecosystem to provide single window clearance services, world-class internet connectivity, state-of-the-art incubation facilities and other infrastructure services to encourage, promote and boost software exports.

With 11 jurisdictional directorates and 62 centres, STPI has expanded its presence pan-India to disperse tech-driven entrepreneurship to tier-II/III cities.  STPI has warranted the growth of software exports and generated employment and entrepreneurial opportunities by buoying the economic progress of the nation. In FY 2020-21, STPI-registered units contributed Rs. 4,96,313 crore software exports.

STPI has been instrumental in promoting IT exports from the Maharashtra since inception of STPI-Pune in the year 1990. Apart from Pune, STPI centers are operational at Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nasik, and Mumbai in Maharashtra & Panaji in Goa. Over the years, STPI has played a very important role to promote the region as a preferred IT destination and act as single window agency for IT/ITES industry by putting new milestones in IT exports of the State. In FY 2018-19, STPI-registered units under STPI-Pune jurisdiction contributed Rs. 85,675 crore software exports.

Emergence of Software Policy

The first Computer Policy of 1984 and Software Policy of 1986 emphasized the concept of software development and export through data communication links. This policy's objective was to develop software in India using Indian expertise on sophisticated computers, which were being imported duty free. This way, one could make use of the low cost expertise available in India and avoid the expense of time and cost in traveling abroad.

However, there was a substantial cost involved in the data communication links. As per the policy, companies were allowed to establish data communication links by their own initial investments. The ownership of the equipment and the operations of the same Gateway would remain with VSNL and VSNL would pay back to the user over a prescribed period after deducting the operational maintenance costs.

This used to be as high as Rs.45.00 lakhs per 64 Kbps for an Indian half circuit per year.

Texas Instruments has the credit of being the first software company with an Offshore Development Facility in Bengaluru. Texas Instruments was also the first to establish its own Gateway at Bengaluru with the support of VSNL on a 'build & operate' agreement.

Except Texas Instruments, no other company succeeded in establishing a similar facility. It was very expensive for smaller companies and other offshore development users to afford the high cost of the data communication.

Further, an Officer from the Dept. of Electronics, Govt. of India was posted at Texas Instruments to monitor the data using the protocol analyzer before issuing necessary certification. There were many hardships that Texas Instruments had to encounter and circumvent by liaisoning with DoT, Ministry of Commerce and the Dept of Electronics, to make sure that the concept of offshore development could be made a success.

In fact, when the Govt. announced the first Software Policy in 1986, many such issues were addressed.

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