First mooted nearly a decade ago, the idea of establishing centres of excellence in the field of information technology at different locations in the country with the involvement of private players has moved closer to fruition.

The Planning Commission approved “in principle” plans of the Union ministry of human resources development to establish 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) under the 11th Five Year Plan across various locations in India.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), the trade body of the IT and BPO sector, was entrusted with the task of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) which would incorporate a model of private-public partnership in the setting up of these new institutes. 

This plan, prepared by NASSCOM, was submitted in May 2008, and has now been granted the Planning Commission’s go-ahead.

However, it still awaiting the green signal from the finance committee of the Union government and the central cabinet.

Four centrally-funded IIITs now exist in Allahabad, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Kanchipuram. Two other IIITs at Bangalore and Hyderabad have followed other models of funding.
Professor S Sadagopan, founder and director of the IIIT-Bangalore, said, “It is easy to start institutes, but it is difficult to sustain them. The new IIITs will face a shortage of experienced and trained faculty. At a time when the industry is facing an economic crunch, it will not be an easy task to find private players willing to fund new IIITs through this initiative planned.”

The IIIT-B at Electronic City was founded after the state government offered a token grant of Rs10 crore in the early phases of its setting up in 1999. It did not receive any funding from the Centre.

“The cost of the new IIITs will be shared by the central government, concerned state governments and private partners. The locations for the new IIITs are yet to be finalised,” announced the website of the Union ministry for human resource development.