Hyderabad: Technopolis in the making? A study of the software industry in Hyderabad, Anhdra Pradesh, India and the Andhra Pradesh information technology policy

In the last few years, Hyderabad, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India, has leaped from virtual obscurity to a preeminent position in India's information technology and business map, a phenomenon concurrent with India's own emerging power in the global information technology industry. Andhra Pradesh, and Hyderabad specifically, now constitutes one of the three nodes of India's "silicon triangle" dedicated to the export of software services. From just a handful of firms in the early 90's, a substantial software cluster has emerged in the city's Software Technology Park, which includes international and national firms of repute. From media reports and other discussions, it appears that this meteoric ascendance has been engendered largely by regional policy initiatives. Many infrastructure and public sector IT initiatives are underway in keeping with the regional theme of "development through IT". Understanding the historical factors and evaluating policy initiatives that have gone into the making of this software cluster is important in understanding its evolution and prospects. Looking at the industry behind the glamour of a few famous industrial recruits will reveal the strengths and sustainability of the industry in the face of existing and potential competition. Only then will we know whether Hyderabad can become an international technopolis.