TIMES VIEW

Bengaluru: Karnataka's first and exclusive tech park to be set up for women by the government will come up at Harohalli, Kanakapura taluk, 40km from Bengaluru and it'll be set up by women on 300 acres. From architects to contractors, it's women all the way who will get it up and running. The central government has accorded in-principle approval, recognizing it as a cluster for women with grants for common infrastructure."The state government's commerce and industries department has already received 56 applications over the past few weeks from women entrepreneurs wanting to set up shop here. The ventures range from IT & ITeS, food processing, textiles, telecom, electronics and others with a proposed investment of around Rs 135 crore with employment opportunities for 2,800 persons. We'll develop 100 acres in the first phase and develop the rest in a phased manner. The Karnataka government has allotted 300 acres for it. Allotment of land will be at a special rate, with investment-based incentives including investment promotion subsidy of 25 percent, exemption from stamp duty, concessional registration charges, exemption from entry tax, etc. Today , there's no platform for women entrepreneurs and that's why the state government thought it best to create an exclusive tech park for women," K Ratna Prabha, additional chief secretary, commerce and industries department, told TOI.The park may be ready by November 2016. Enthused by the response, the government plans to set up a womens park cluster in Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi and Ballari too. “The park will be a golden opportunity for women entrepreneurs who are in a rented facility and want to ex pand," she said.A WhatsApp group for women entrepreneur associations to discuss business ideas has been created. While many banks have come for ward to support them, big players like Ikea, Walmart and Toyota have approached the government to participate in this project. “We're taking forward Karnataka's industrial policy 2014-19 which had, for the first time, proposed special incentives for nurturing women entrepreneurs and establishment of exclusive industrial parks for women," Prabha said.Be it Shivamogga or Kalaburagi, women will be encouraged to come forward and emerge as partners in industrial progress. Apart from boosting the morale of women, the government is seeking a change in internal policy. “Five per cent of the plots sheds in industrial areas estates developed by KIADB or KSSIDC have been reserved for women entrepreneurs in all future industrial areas. So far, 942 women have been allotted plots in KIADB industrial areas. Exclusive clusters for women in textile, gems and jewellery have been planned. The idea is to make Karnataka a leader in women-led enterprises in India," she explained.The tech park for women is a first step in the right direction. The government's effort to encourage women entrepreneurs should hopefully bear fruit in the years to come. By involving women in the design and execution of the park in Kanakapura taluk, the venture will be a showpiece of woman power. It's now up to women entrepreneurs to make the best of the facilities and create world-class companies. Women have proved time and again they're no less than men when it comes to hard work and innovation. This park is another opportunity to reiterate it.