Chennai/Madurai: The proposed IT parks in special economic zones (SEZs), promoted by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot), across seven southern districts of the state are likely to attract Rs 25,000 crore investments. These SEZs are expected to create 540,000 direct and over 1.5 million indirect jobs over the next five years, said Santhosh Babu, managing director, Elcot.

The parks are coming up in Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Chennai, Hosur, Tirunelveli and Madurai. The total land acquired is over 1,800 acre.

By 2010-11, exports from these parks would be around Rs 15,000 crore. During 2007-08, exports by IT/ITeS companies from the state increased to Rs 27,960 crore from Rs 20,700 crore a year before.

The two IT parks coming up in Chennai at Sholinganallur IT SEZ and Perumpakkam alone are expected to attract around Rs 10,000 crore investments and create 200,000 direct and 600,000 indirect jobs. At Perumpakkam, Elcot is planning to create a Smart IT City on 190 acre under public-private partnership, said Santhosh Babu.

The other big ticket investments, to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore, would be in the Coimbatore IT park at Villankurichi. This park is likely to generate 30,000 direct and 90,000 indirect jobs.

IT parks in Salem at Jagir Amma Palaym, Tiruchy at Navalpattu, Hosur at Viswanthapuram, and Tirunelveli at Gangaikondan are likely attract around Rs 9,000 crore . These parks together would create around 190,000 direct and over 400,000 indirect jobs.

Meanwhile on Saturday, state school education minister Thangam Thennarasu handed over the land documents to IT companies including HCL Technologies, Honeywell Technology Solutions, Satyam Computers and Sutherland Global Services. These companies are setting up their facilities at Illanthaikulam, an integrated IT complex, in Madurai.

The government has also formed an IT Park Steering committee to co-ordinate the works with the district collector as chairman. The work was scheduled to begin on December 5. The corporation has allocated Rs 22.80 crore for infrastructure works at the proposed information technology parks at Illanthaikulam and Vadapalanji in Madurai, said Santhosh Babu.

These parks are expected to attract Rs 1,500 crore investments and create 70,000 direct and 1.5 lakh indirect jobs.