Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant policy shift aimed at professionalising the management of Kerala’s govt IT parks, the outgoing LDF govt revised the eligibility criteria for appointment of chief executive officers (CEOs) at institutions, including Technopark. This will potentially pave the way for selecting industry experts instead of bureaucrats or officials with limited sectoral exposure. However, the final decision on appointing a new CEO will rest with the incoming govt. Sources indicated that the new administration may either proceed under the revised framework or introduce fresh norms.Electronics and information technology department’s May 2 order replaces the norms introduced in 2022 and substantially enhances the qualifications and experience required for the post. This is the first time state govt issued a detailed framework elevating the benchmark for CEO appointments in govt-owned IT parks, officials said.Presently, the Technopark CEO post is held by a junior IAS officer, while the previous CEO was a retired colonel. Highly placed sources in IT department said the new norms reflect changing realities in the sector. “Govt-owned IT parks are no longer functioning merely as administrative campuses. The focus is now on competing with private developers and attracting global technology firms. That requires expertise in real estate development, infrastructure planning and international marketing,” a senior govt official told TOI.The revised framework was designed to provide flexibility to appoint technocrats and industry professionals instead of relying solely on technocrats and bureaucratic appointments, the official added .According to the new order, applicants must possess either an engineering degree along with a full-time MBA, executive MBA, PGDM or PGDBM, or a postgraduate degree in engineering or technology. Candidates should also have a minimum of 20 years of professional experience, including at least five years in the IT or electronics sector.It mandates at least five years of experience heading a division, organisation or profit centre. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in infrastructure development for IT and IT-enabled services sector, particularly those with exposure to real estate firms and international property consultants. The exposure to international property developers is an addition in the eligibility criteria.The order highlights desirable experience in Grade-A office development, land leasing, workplace management for Fortune 500 companies, investment promotion, marketing and customer relations. The upper age limit for applicants has been fixed at 55 years, with the appointment tenure set at three years.Industry stakeholders had long been demanding that leadership positions in govt IT parks be entrusted to professionals with direct experience in technology infrastructure and investment management. Sources said the revised eligibility framework reflects those concerns and aligns Kerala’s IT park administration with global practices followed by major technology hubs.Officials said the move comes at a crucial time as Technopark and other state-owned IT parks are undergoing rapid expansion through multiple development phases and satellite campuses, making the CEO role critical for future investment mobilisation and infrastructure growth.
