Software Technology Park of India (STPI), set up at Ambapua at the outskirt of Berhampur, will start functioning in a full-fledged manner very soon, though major Information Technology (IT) companies are not yet ready to open their unit in it, official sources said today.

While a local web-developing IT firm has already stared its work in the park recruiting around 100 persons, some south-based software companies have shown their interest to come to the STPI to expand their business in Orissa, a senior officer of IT department said.

"We are inviting reputed IT companies for the STPI, Berhampur, but they are yet to give firm commitment," said additional director of STPI Manas Panda.

He, however, expressed hope the companies would now show their interest, as the condition in the IT sector was gradually improving in the post-recession period.

The STPI, Berhampur is the third such institute in the state after Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The government has proposed another STPI at Balasore.

Set up by STPI, an autonomous society under the union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) with investment of about Rs 5 crore, it was built over three acres, on the outskirts of the town. The state government has provided the land free of cost and the foundation stone was laid on December 13, 2006.

The STPI will work with the state government for promotion of software export. The main objective is to enable local entrepreneurs to venture into the IT industries and work on projects for software exports. .

The main objective of the Centre is to make the region one of the preferred IT destination and attracting IT companies to the state. This will help to create indirect employment opportunities for the technical educated mass in the state, said a senior officer.

The Additional Director of the STPI also expressed hope that the IT companies would be interested to come here as the park would provide several facilities, besides sops announced by the Central government.

The cnetre will act as a resources centre for member computer software-exporting units by offering infrastructural facilities like ready to incubation facility and High Speed Data Communication (HSDC) with 100 per cent uninterrupted data connectivity.

The proposed centre will be available to the entrepreneurs who are in immediate need of high tech computing infrastructure and associated facility. The HSDC facility will be integrated with point-to point microwave connectivity, copper and fibre facility in multiple of 64 KBPS.

STPI offers incentives like 100 per cent exemption on customs duty on import of capital goods, total exemption on excise duty on indigenous procurement of capital goods, permission for importing second hand capital goods, full reimbursement of Central Sales Tax and exemption from Corporate Income Tax on export earning to software exporters.

In 2008-09, software worth Rs 1168-crore had been exported, while the amount of export in 2009-2010 was yet to be assessed. The amount was likely to remain the same in 2009-2010 in the state because of the recession in the IT sector, the sources said.