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The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Bengal Silicon Valley on track with 42 companies onboard: Minister Babul Supriyo
Exports in West Bengal's Information Technology (IT) sector have increased from ₹4,500 crores in 2011 to nearly ₹35,000 crores in 2025, State IT Minister Babul Supriyo said, highlighting the government's focus on its IT industry and the development of a 250-acre Bengal Silicon Valley project in New Town. Also Read | West Bengal CM Mamata announces new TCS office in New Town, spread over 20 acres 'In Bengal Silicon Valley, we had about 250 acres of land. All land parcels in the 250-acre Bengal Silicon Valley have been allotted, with 42 companies onboard. Nineteen of them have already started their work in some manner, and three are fully operational,' he said at ICC VisionTech - LEAD 2025, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on July 12. Mentioning other IT parks in the State, such as Kalyani, Durgapur, and Siliguri, the minister added that all 10 Webel-owned properties in Sector V and the three in Siliguri have reached 100% occupancy. 'Tata Consultancy Services already had a campus here, where they had already employed around 50,000 employees. And just about a couple of days back, their Head also had a very fruitful meeting with our Honourable Chief Minister, in which the way forward has been crafted. They are holding strategic discussions on further expansion in Bengal,' he added. In his address, Mr Supriyo highlighted recent developments in the semiconductor sector in the State, with the recent establishment of GlobalFoundries' R&D operations in Kolkata. 'We are in the final stages of announcing forward-looking semiconductor and GCC policies to ensure a responsive, future-ready ecosystem. But we are taking a little bit of time because we want to make it as competitive with the other States and make it full-proof where we cater to the needs or the aspirations that are coming back to us right now,' he said. Mr Supriyo also addressed the extensive migration from West Bengal to other countries and other metro cities in the country. He underlined the comparatively lower costs of living in the State and the Chief Minister's vision to 'make Kolkata a leading IT hub of India'.
India Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Queer activists call for policy changes to ensure equal rights of LGBTQ persons
Two years after the Supreme Court's Supriyo Chakraborty verdict called for legislative changes to allow marriage equality, queer activists are now focusing on what comes next: policy reforms to ensure equal rights for LGBTQ an event on July 12, the Keshav Suri Foundation, along with the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, released a set of policy recommendations aimed at making India's legal system more inclusive of queer event featured a panel discussion with activists and lawyers, as well as a performance by the 'Theatre of the Oppressed' highlighting daily discrimination faced by LGBTQ people. Queer activists spoke about the continued lack of recognition for 'chosen families,' and how legal and policy gaps often ignore or exclude the lived realities of queer Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Kishen Kaul, who was on the five-judge bench in the Supriyo case, spoke at the event. He noted that while discrimination is a part of human society, progress has been made through long-term suggested that a law on civil unions may be the next step toward equality and praised the policy paper's proposal for a comprehensive family code as a starting point for broader public policy paper outlines recommendations to address key areas such as family recognition, anti-discrimination protections, access to queer-affirming healthcare and protection from violence. These suggestions build upon submissions made to a High-Powered Committee set up by the Central Government after the 2023 Supreme Court proposals come after consultations with over 150 queer activists and organisations. The paper includes detailed insights into existing legal hurdles and proposes changes involving multiple government calls for legal recognition of queer relationships, removal of discrimination in sectors like housing, education, employment, and financial services, and improved access to healthcare, especially gender-affirming also recommends steps to protect queer individuals from violence, including training law enforcement and providing shelter Arundhati Katju, who has been involved in major LGBTQ legal battles, encouraged the community to 'protect the moments of joy.' Reflecting on how far the movement has come, from the 2003 Koushal verdict that upheld Section 377, to its eventual repeal and the Supriyo judgment, Katju highlighted increased visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ people.'Today, a government committee says two queer people can have a joint bank account and name each other as nominees,' she said. 'Now is the time to work with the government and push for real legislative and policy changes.'- EndsTrending Reel
The Wire
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
The Future of Queer Rights in India and Why the Judiciary Must Play Catalyst
This is the full text of the speech delivered by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Saturday, July 12, at the launch of a report and recommendations by the Keshav Suri Foundation and the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy titled 'Queering the Law: Beyond Supriyo' at The Lalit, Delhi. The document lists legal and policy solutions to help eliminate systemic discrimination, ensure recognition of queer relationships and families, and promote equal access to healthcare, safety education, and employment. The recommendations are based on legal research and community consultations across Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. § The Future of Queer Rights in India A very good evening to all gathered today! Mr Keshav Suri, Founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF), Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Senior Advocates Mr. Saurabh Kirpal, Ms. Menaka Guruswamy and Ms. Arundhati Katju, Dr. Arghya Sengupta and other members from the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and other esteemed panellists. At the outset I extend my congratulations to the entire Vidhi team in coming out with the public policy brief on ' Queering the Law: Beyond Suprio' assiduously prepared jointly by Vidhi and Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF). Vidhi, of course, has been doing commendable work across topical issues and its detailed recommendations are invariably well received and acknowledged. The Future of Queer Rights, assumes even more significance, not only because of the recent pronouncement of the Supreme Court in Supriyo, but also because it really is an issue that must be discussed with legislative reforms at the heart of such discussion coupled with a need for advocating change in societal perception. As I had opined in Supriyo, our Constitution contemplates a holistic understanding of equality, which applies to all spheres of life. The practice of equality necessitates acceptance and protection of individual choices. This endeavour not only requires judicial interpretation of existing statutes but also an attempt on the part of the legislature to consolidate and make necessary amendments to laws that remain archaic and rooted in a biased assignment of rights. The future of Queer Rights in India, as the Supreme Court had opined in Supriyo requires action in the realm of the legislature and the executive with a co-ordinated effort across various ministries and department. This is so because redressal is to take place across various aspects. Amendment to only civil laws relating to marriage, parenthood and inheritance and making them more inclusive would in my view be only the first step albeit significant. What is required perhaps is also a legislation on civil union. Vidhi, last year, had published what I believe to be a more contemporary rendition of a comprehensive Family Code. This could definitely form the basis of a framework to aid public deliberations on family laws in India. Cue may also be taken by the legislature while framing laws relating to civil union from those already enacted in foreign jurisdictions. For instance, the UK Civil Partnership Act which defines and provides for registration of civil unions or the Australian Family Law Act which states that two persons are in a relationship, if they are not married, not related to each other by family but have been in a relation with each other on a domestic basis. Vidhi's recommendations to the Committee constituted following the decision in Supriyo extensively cover these facets. Protection must also be afforded to such unions which are not ultimately registered but a relationship exists between two persons which could characterised as a civil union. Yet another hurdle to be crossed and surely an important consideration for any couple, would be parent-child relations and the law on this subject. Presently, parent-child relations are determined under an array of statutes – CARA Regulations for adoptions, Guardianship and Wards Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Surrogacy Act. Unfortunately, these legislations deem couples to mean only heterosexual couples. Reformation, amendment or introduction of new legislation is warranted here too. Gender-based discrimination and even bias against single parents must be written out of the statutes. In fact, in Supriyo, the minority view had noted that CARA regulations to the extent that unmarried couples could not adopt a child would disproportionately effect non-heterosexual couples since the State had not conferred legal recognition to the union of queer couples. Both the minority and majority, however, recognised that this area of the law required state intervention. A closely connected aspect would also be whether extant provisions which do not accord legitimacy to children of married couples as opposed to unmarried couples which, of course, would include non-heterosexual couples. There is a need for reworking this statutory scheme and move in-step with societal reality of the 21st century. An almost existential difficulty faced by LGBTQIA persons is access to goods, financial services and access to public infrastructure. In this regard, in my opinion in Supriyo, I had underscored the need for an umbrella anti-discrimination law, noting that: "There are several laws that have an anti-discrimination aspect to them. However, they are fragmented and may fail to capture the multitudinous forms of discrimination. Another compelling reason for a law that places a horizontal duty of anti-discrimination is provided by the spirit of Article 15, which prohibits discrimination by both the State and private actors." Furthermore, while anti-discrimination law do exist, they require courts to be: "...'sentinel on the qui vive', the only method to enforce this Constitutional right under Article 15 would be through its writ jurisdiction. There are significant challenges for marginalized communities to access this remedy. Therefore, the proliferation of remedies through an anti-discrimination statute can be a fitting solution. Such legislation would also be in furtherance of the positive duty of the State to secure social order and to promote justice and social welfare under Article 38 of the Constitution." Anti-discrimination law is ever more crucial in today's age where access to capital is sine qua non for say starting a business, buying a house or even otherwise bridging personal needs is wholly dependent on factors such as ease of availing loans or finances, opening bank accounts. Undoubtedly, there are barriers to access for LGBTQIA persons to even something as routine as opening a bank account which requires one to carry a document which conforms to gender identity. There is also a more deep-rooted societal bias, which compound inaccessibility to the financial system which is normally available to cis-gender or heteronormative individuals. This is naturally a significant handicap to the LGBTQIA community. On the whole, In my view, the future beckons a sanguine and more inclusive reality which requires a more concerted effort not only on the part of the judiciary and legislature but also the more pressing and urgent need for societal reformation. Dishearteningly, there still persists a stigma and sense of rejection for LGBTQIA persons, in particular, non-binary and transgender individuals. There is also, a degree of legislative inertia on the rights and entitlements of queer persons which risks prolonging the legal limbo for same-sex couples seeking marriage, adoption, or inheritance rights. A conservative attitude still persists across a large populace of the country which hinders acceptance. The Supriyo judgment is a nuanced milestone in India's queer rights journey. It affirms cohabitation and non-discrimination rights for LGBTQ individuals but defers to parliamentary wisdom. The minority's push for civil unions offers a potential middle ground, while the court's directives for a government committee signal incremental progress a chasm is required to be crossed which would only be successful through tempered judicial intervention, legislative progress and most importantly growing societal awareness. I believe, we are on a path of progressive recognition of rights of LGBTQIA persons. The Supreme Court's pronouncement in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India recognized transgender individuals' right to self-identify their gender. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 codifies identification of gender but has several lacunae to be filled by the legislature. Societal perception plays a key role. A 2019 Pew survey found 37% of Indians supported homosexuality, up from 15% in 2013. Urban areas and younger generations show greater openness, but rural and conservative communities often remain hostile. The judiciary must perform the role of a catalyst. India's legislative landscape for LGBTQIA recognition has evolved, but significant gaps persist. The term 'queer' is not defined in Indian law, and asexual individuals are invisible in policy frameworks. In February 2025, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment introduced certain administrative measures for queer couples, including access to ration cards, joint bank accounts, and the right to claim a partner's body in case of death (if no next of kin exists). These measures, prompted by the Supreme Court's Judgement in Supriyo are a step forward but remain limited, as they are not enshrined in statute and do not address comprehensive rights. I truly believe that the future is more promising than what is behind us and in the words of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, 'Hope will never be silent'. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul retired as a Supreme Court judge in 2023.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
23 cos setting up campuses in new tech hub: Babul Supriyo
Kolkata: Twenty-three companies, including and L&T, have started construction of their buildings at Bengal Silicon Valley (BSV), an upcoming tech hub in New Town, while NTT, ST Telemedia and CtrlS data centres are on the verge of launching their operations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This was revealed by state IT and electronics minister during an interaction with IT industry stakeholders on Friday. Urging private tech firms to adopt a startup each for improving Bengal's IT ecosystem, the minister said: "About 41 companies have taken plots at BSV spread over 250 acres. The construction work of five companies is nearing completion while 23 companies are in different stages of construction. We will bring an amended version of the existing IT policy. We are also working on global capability centre and semiconductor policies. " The state was looking at an investment of Rs 30,000-35,000 crore from the companies setting up units at BSV, Supriyo said. Speaking on incentives for manufacturing units, he said: "The land price at BSV is Rs 40 crore per acre, but govt has given it for Rs 5 crore per acre. We are not thinking about any more subsidy." Representatives of TCS, Capgemini and British Telecom urged Supriyo for a change in the syllabus of degree and diploma engineering to tide over the dearth of skilled workforce in the city. "When we recruit passouts, they are not industry-ready. We have to look at workforce outside the state," said Monojit Sengupta, a representative from TCS. Responding to this, Supriyo said: "Webel and tech education department are coordinating on the issue. We are open to suggestions from IT companies for introducing new chapters or courses in the syllabus."
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Semicon co GlobalFoundries to launch R&D & testing facilities in Kolkata
GlobalFoundries , a major US based semiconductor manufacturing company, is expected to start its operations in Kolkata with its Research & Development and testing facilities by August end-September, ahead of Durga Pujas , West Bengal Minister IT & Electronics Babul Supriyo said. Supriyo, confirming the development, told ET that the US based multinational, starting its operations in Kolkata, will help boost investment scenario in the IT and semiconductor sector in Bengal and stop brain drain from the state, which has a pool of talented and skilled professionals. "After handing over the space, R&D is the first step, and there are several other phases that are in the fold in coming days. I hope we will see something concrete on the ground within the next three months," the minister added. In the second phase, the company will start its Fabrication Laboratory where employment generation will be at a much higher rate, people in the know said. Around 13,000 square feet space has been provided to GlobalFoundries at Software Technology Park of India (STPI) IT park in the eastern fringes of Kolkata's Salt Lake. GlobalFoundries (GF) is a major semiconductor manufacturing company that produces microchips used in electronic devices like smartphones, computers, and cars, helping to power modern technology around the world. The semiconductor investment by the Global Semiconductor company in Kolkata was announced following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with the US. President Joe Biden in 2024. The collaborative state-of-the-art unit, to be called the GF Kolkata Centre was announced by White House after a meeting between Biden and Modi last year. "The presence of GlobalFoundries in Bengal will help draw more investments in Bengal, especially in the semiconductor domain in a major way and change the IT and semiconductor industry's eco-system here," people in the know told ET. The Central government putting major emphasis on the semiconductor industry. Meanwhile, in Bengal Silicon Valley, several companies have started investments and work is underway. 'There will be investment of around Rs 30,000 plus crore (committed) in the coming days. Reliance Jio has taken approximately 40 acres, Adanis have taken around 50 acres, LT-Mindtree has taken around 21 acres and TCS 20 acres for their expansion project. Adani is yet to start work while others have already started,' Babul Supriyo told ET. The Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub has approximately 200 acres of land in New Town. In addition, several Data Centre companies-ST Telemedia, Japanese Data Centre company NTT, Airtel NXtra, and globally renowned CtrlS have completed their construction and will start operations within a month, sources said. Reliance Jio is also setting up a Cable Landing Station in Digha, eastern India's first cable landing station, is set to make Bengal a lucrative destination, announced during Bengal Global Business Summit 2025. 'This will help more data centres to come up in Bengal in the coming days,' an official said. Meanwhile, the state government is working on its Semiconductor Policy and Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy.
