Bhubaneswar: The city of Bhubaneswar is fast transforming into one of India’s leading IT hubs. Over the past seven years, more than 70 IT companies have set up their offices in the city, with several others in talks with the state government to open branches within the next two to three years.

Leading Indian IT company Zoho has announced plans to establish a data centre in Khordha, which has already received state government approval. The government is also preparing a roadmap to develop Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and additional data centres in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Special policies are being framed to attract investors, with efforts underway to turn the twin city area into a major GCC hub.

According to the Electronics and IT Department, over 300 IT companies currently operate in Bhubaneswar, Jatni and Khordha blocks. Most of them have offices in government and private IT towers such as Infocity and Chandaka Industrial Area, collectively employing nearly 35,000 professionals. Between 2018 and 2024, more than 27,000 young men and women secured employment in IT companies, about 80 per cent of whom are from Odisha.

Bhubaneswar already hosts IT Special Economic Zones like Infocity-SEZ and Infocity-II (Infovalley). Several multi-storey buildings, including OCAC Tower, Fortune Tower, IDCO Tower, Tower-2000, O-Hub and Shakti Bhawan, have been identified as dedicated IT towers offering affordable workspace for companies. The government has also implemented a series of sector-specific policies to attract investors.

OCAC, established in 1985 and managed by the Electronics and IT Department since 2003, has evolved from supporting government computerisation to becoming a key IT hub. The Acharya Vihar area, where OCAC is located, has emerged as a prominent technology zone. The Odisha Technology Centre, spread across 51,000 sq ft with an additional 29,000 sq ft under development, now houses global companies like Accenture and Cognizant.

During the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Bhubaneswar earlier this year, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that Odisha would become one of the country’s key IT destinations within the next two to three years.