By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 7: The state government is addressing rising unemployment by launching several initiatives, one of which is the development of technology parks. These parks have proven beneficial and are now being leveraged for greater productivity.
Following the success of the Shillong Technology Park – Phase I, which created jobs for around 1,000 youth, the state government is moving ahead with the construction of Shillong Technology Park – Phase II and the Tura Technology Park. Together, these expansions are expected to generate over 2,000 additional jobs.
The first phase of the Shillong Technology Park is now fully operational, with five multinational companies currently employing around 1,000 youths.
Building on this success, construction for Phase II is under way, with 50 per cent of the work already completed. The second phase aims to provide state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure to attract IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) sector investments, and is expected to be completed by mid-2025, directly creating around 2,000 jobs.
To further extend these job creation efforts beyond Shillong, the state government has initiated the construction of the Tura Technology Park, which began in April 2024. The park is scheduled for completion by mid-2026 and will play a significant role in generating employment in the state.
Additionally, the state government had announced the Meghalaya IT/ITES Promotion Policy in March 2024, with a vision to create a favorable environment for attracting investors to Meghalaya and generating sustainable employment opportunities for citizens in the IT/ITES sector.
Various government departments are also being supported in implementing IT initiatives as part of this broader employment strategy.