Imphal, May 4 (DIPR): Information Technology has touched various chords of existence so much so that the different ways of doing and conducting business have undergone a sea change. Manipur has undergone the transition through effectively managing changes-small bits of evolution to manifest transformation. Manipur has been at the leading edge of the best practices by learning from experiences and by adopting appropriate technology for setting up the foundation of infrastructure.
The IT Department is responsible for implementing all IT related Project/Schemes, including e-Governance in the State. The Manipur State IT Society has been acting as the State Designated Agency for taking up National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) Projects.
Software Technology Parks of India, Imphal Centre was established in 2004 for providing Industry Standard Internet Connectivity and Incubation space to local IT firms.
Under NeGP, State Wide Area Network (SWAN) was established for connecting the State HQ to the district HQs (except Imphal West and Imphal East) and 19 Block HQs where Optical Fibre connectivity of BSNL is available. Establishment of 399 Common Service Centres (CSC) under NeGP in a Geographical spread of 1 common Service Centre for every 6 villages. Establishment of a State Data Centre (SDC) under the NeGP for hosting of websites, e-governance applications and data of the entire state.
Manipur is the first state in the country to complete all 4 infrastructure of NeGP, ie, SWAN, SDC, CSC and State Portal & SSDG & e-Forms. The Government has set up a 50 seater State of art e-Governance Training Centre at SAT. The Government has set up and commissioned an IT Park at Mantripukhri during July, 2015. Five IT firms are operating out of the IT Park.
The Government of Manipur, in response to the Government of India’s flagship programme of “Digital India”, realizes the breadth and depth of it and has resolved to take up synergistic projects in consonance to the Programme. The IT-SEZ is earmarked to be a zone to encourage exports oriented projects and/or products from reputed industries including their auxiliaries and start-up firms. Manipur is now poised to be a preferred destination of being an IT/ITES and ESDM hub in India.
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Manipur has been set up in order to develop Manipur as preferred destination for Information technology related manpower and industry. This shall enable Manipur to gear up for providing Information Technology related services. IIIT Manipur is starting its BE, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and BE, Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE).
The State government is taking a pro-active role in formulating projects with an intention of building up awareness for IT Industry like, standardization, development and revamping of websites are being carried out under the scheme. Designing of the Secretariat LAN at Mantripukhri. Support for training of Government officials in website development for creating and updating departmental websites. Trainings on Court Case Management System application. Publication of various departmental e-tenders in portal and reducing the target gradually to encompass a wide gamut of tenders on-line. Conceptualizing, designing and transitioning MPSC from a paper based system to an on-line system and formulation of ‘Digital Manipur’ Programme.
‘Digital Manipur’ is in synergy with the vision of ‘Digital India’, a flagship programme undertaken by the Govt of India. The ‘Manipur Online’ Program focus in the followings; to increase in current investment in IT/ITeS sector to generate direct employment of at least 5000 qualified local resources in the next 5 years, to increase the turnover up to at least 3 local companies to Rs 10 Cr each in the next 5 years thus increasing the Employment potential of each by 5 times of the existing work-force, to digitize and archive all important documents vulnerable to extinction for empowering future reference work both for academic as well as for professional purposes, to integrate all e-Services under one single platform of convergence, to focus, inter alia, on Financial Services, Mobile applications, animation, Health services and Education material & Digital entertainment, to develop the IT Parks as IT Knowledge Hub for Business Exchange and Business Promotion with neighbouring countries.
DIT Manipur is the Nodal Agency to facilitate and coordinate with all the Departments in Manipur for the implementation of e-Tender project. Approximately, 18 departments of Government of Manipur have been using e-Tender portal for tenders viz, construction, procurement, supply etc.
Manipur is gradually positioning itself as an ideal Hub of IT/ITES/ESDM clusters to develop, proliferate, sustain and grow. The road of travel is a long haul, a drive that is exciting, a journey that manifests itself as path of realization of dreams. Manipur stamping itself as a major knowledge exchange Hub with exchanges happening to enhance productive capacities. The State invite big and small industries to be a partner with the State and together be a witness of History- the history of scripting Manipur as a vibrant IT Hub.
