SRINAGAR: The Union Government on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that a Software Technology Park has already been established in Jammu to promote the growth of the information technology sector and generate employment opportunities for local youth.
Replying to an Unstarred Question, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said the facility has been set up by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) at the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) in Jammu as part of the Centre’s broader push to expand the IT industry beyond major metropolitan cities.
The question, raised by Member of Parliament Sat Paul Sharma, sought details on whether the government planned to establish an STPI-supported IT Park in Jammu, its current status, implementation timeline, and steps being taken to provide infrastructure and incentives in line with initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India.
In a written reply, the Minister said the government is making continuous efforts to promote the IT industry across the country, particularly in smaller cities and towns, and identified the Software Technology Park (STP) scheme as a key instrument in this strategy.
He said STPI has established 68 centres nationwide, of which 60 are located in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, aimed at decentralising technology growth and creating employment at the regional level.
Providing an update specific to Jammu, Prasada said a Software Technology Park has already been set up and is equipped with modern infrastructure to support IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) companies and start-ups.
Describing it as a “state-of-the-art facility”, the Minister said the centre offers incubation services, high-speed data communication, cloud services, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT), along with statutory and regulatory support required by technology firms.
He said the STPI centres also function as incubators to help entrepreneurs convert innovative ideas into start-ups by providing workspace, technical infrastructure and access to investors and mentors. These include venture capitalists, experts from IITs and NITs, industry professionals and networking platforms through various schemes and programmes.
According to the Ministry, the Jammu facility is expected to encourage the growth of IT and ITeS companies in the region and contribute to job creation for local youth.
The government said such initiatives align with national programmes like Digital India and Make in India by strengthening digital infrastructure, fostering innovation and promoting technology-led economic development in regions outside traditional IT hubs.
With the operationalisation of the STPI centre in Jammu, the Centre indicated that the focus is now on leveraging the park’s facilities and support systems to attract start-ups and technology firms and build a sustainable IT ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
