Bokaro: The proposed Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility in Bokaro, for which land was allotted nearly nine years ago by the Jharkhand Industrial Area Development Authority (JIADA), still remains a non-starter. With no construction yet visible on the ground, the delay has raised concerns over the project, which is aimed at giving the IT sector a boost in the region.The state govt had initially shown strong intent to establish an STPI centre in Bokaro, an industrial hub known for steel, coal, cement, power and gas-based industries. However, the project later lost momentum for reasons that remain unclear, and no significant progress has been reported since the land allocation.Officials familiar with the matter said the main bottleneck was the lack of funding support from the state govt, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic period. The responsibility for constructing the proposed 55,000-square-foot building lies with the state, which has still not begun civil work.The STPI initiative in Bokaro was first conceptualised in 2013, when the organisation identified the region as a potential IT and industrial growth centre. After years of evaluation, a site was finalised in Balidih in 2017 near National Highway-23 within the JIADA industrial zone. Around 1.45 acres of land was formally handed over for the project, but construction has remained stuck at the planning stage ever since.Once operational, the Bokaro STPI centre is expected to become the fifth such facility in Jharkhand. At present, STPI centres are functional in Ranchi, Dhanbad and Deoghar, while Jamshedpur’s facility is in the pipeline.The Bokaro project was initially estimated to require an investment of over Rs 30 crore and was projected to attract more than Rs 100 crore in investments from over 25 domestic and multinational companies. According to STPI projections, the centre could have generated direct employment for over 3,000 professionals, besides creating indirect jobs in allied services.The facility was also expected to host software development companies, BPOs and call centres, positioning Bokaro as an emerging IT destination in eastern India.Bokaro MLA Shwettaa Singh said, “I raised the issue during the Zero Hour of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in March 2025, urging the govt to take swift action to revive the stalled project.” She added, “I am continuously pursuing the matter to ensure the project finally takes off.”
