Superseded in force from 4 Apr 2016 Policy framework with an incentives order IT & ITeS ElectronicsStartups and innovationSkillinge-Governance

ICT Policy Framework 2016

Telangana ICT Policy Framework 2016 · ICT Policy 2016-21

Instrument
Framework PDF carries no G.O. number; G.O.Ms.No.03 (12 Apr 2016) is cited by G.O.Ms.No.9 of 29 Jun 2017 1 2 3 p.1
Issued by
ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana
Reviewed
23 Oct 2026

Intent

Make Telangana "the most preferred technology investment destination in the Country", by doubling IT exports and direct jobs and spreading IT to Tier II towns.

Source 2 p.7 1 p.12

Mechanism

  1. 1 Set targets Double exports from Rs 68,232 cr and jobs from 4 lakh in 5 years; 3 Tier-II IT hubs. 1 p.12
  2. 2 Defer terms to an order The Framework says the incentive scheme "will be notified separately"; the order sets reimbursement rates and caps. 1 p.14 2 p.11 2 p.19
  3. 3 Screen by committee Applications go to a CCITI sub-committee, then the CCITI, then TSIIC for land; one incentive category per company. 1 p.14 2 p.23 2 p.25
  4. 4 Run for five years The order says "in force for a period of 5 years"; no review or reporting duty. 2 p.26
IT exports against doubling target
Rs 1,45,522 cr
Target met in year five on the policy's own base
2.13 x the policy's Rs 68,232 cr base; target Rs 1,36,464 cr
FY2020-21 Derived Statistic 9 p.6 1 p.12
Direct IT jobs against target
6,28,615
79% of the implied 8 lakh (2 x 4 lakh)
FY2020-21 Derived Statistic 9 p.6 1 p.12
Tier-II IT towers operating
3 of 3 targeted
  1. 2015-16 Warangal
  2. 21 Jul 2020 Karimnagar
  3. 7 Dec 2020 Khammam
  4. 6 May 2023 Mahabubnagar
Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam by Dec 2020; Mahabubnagar 2023
Dec 2020 Source Official claim 1 p.12 4 p.23 9 p.7 10 p.11
Allied policies issued
10
4 on 4 Apr 2016, 4 on 15 Sep 2016, 2 on 10 Oct 2017
Oct 2017 Derived Official claim 4 p.4 5 p.6 6 p.6

Signals

The questions readers ask, answered in 25 words or fewer. Open "Why" for the reasoning.

  1. Key signal · Finding Derived Statistic

    Did it double IT exports in five years?

    Yes, in year five

    Exports reached Rs 1,45,522 crore in 2020-21, the fifth year, which is 2.13 times the policy's Rs 68,232 crore base.

    Why

    The target is to double "INR 68,232 Crores" in 5 years, so Rs 1,36,464 crore. The department's own series puts 2014-15 at Rs 66,276 crore and its reports often start from Rs 57,258 crore for 2013-14. Against the 2021 policy's Rs 75,000 crore reading of 2016, 2020-21 reaches 97%.

    1 p.12 9 p.6 4 p.2 7 p.5 ResearchPolicyInvestor Evidence →
  2. Finding Derived Statistic

    Did it double IT jobs in five years?

    No, two years late

    Employment was 6,28,615 in 2020-21, about 79% of the 8 lakh implied target. It passed 8 lakh in 2022-23, at 9,05,715.

    Why

    The target is to double "the current employment of 4 Lakhs". The 10 lakh figure the tracker used is the 2021 policy's target. FY2021-22 (7,78,121) is the 2022-23 total less the 1,27,594 jobs ar2223 reports added in 2022-23.

    1 p.12 9 p.6 10 p.5 11 p.8 ResearchPolicy Evidence →
  3. Caution Source Statistic

    Is Rs 1,28,807 crore the policy's end-year export figure?

    No, it is 2019-20

    Rs 1,28,807 crore is the 2019-20 figure. The policy's fifth year, 2020-21, reached Rs 1,45,522 crore.

    Why

    The tracker and its dashboard label Rs 1,28,807 crore as 2021. The 2019-20 report prints it as 2019-20 and the 2020-21 report prints Rs 1,45,522 crore for 2020-21. The 2019-20 report's footnote says its figures were converted from NASSCOM dollar figures; the 2022-23 report cites STPI and VSEZ for the same value.

    8 p.5 9 p.6 10 p.5 ResearchInvestor Evidence →
  4. Finding Derived Official claim

    Did it build IT hubs beyond Hyderabad?

    Yes, not Nizamabad

    Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam had working IT towers by December 2020. Nizamabad, which the policy names, was still unopened in mid-2023.

    Why

    The target was "3 tier-II cities as IT Hubs in 5 years"; the policy names Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad as examples. Karimnagar opened 21 July 2020 and Khammam 7 December 2020. Mahabubnagar opened 6 May 2023.

    1 p.12 9 p.7 10 p.11 4 p.23 PolicyResearch Trajectory →
  5. Finding Derived Official claim

    What replaced it?

    Succeeded, not repealed

    The 2nd ICT Policy was unveiled on 16 September 2021. No source says it repealed the 2016 policy, whose incentives order ran five years.

    Why

    The incentives order says it is "in force for a period of 5 years with immediate effect", so it ran out about April 2021, five months before the successor. The 2021 policy calls itself "an updated version" and the department calls the 2016 policy "the previous policy (2016-21)".

    2 p.26 12 11 p.3 10 p.6 LegalPolicy Trajectory →
  6. Open Derived Instrument

    Who decides a mega-project incentive package?

    Unclear

    The Framework says CCITI decides mega-project packages. The incentives order says the State Cabinet approves them.

    Why

    A mega project invests over Rs 200 crore, employs over 1,000 people, or is of strategic importance. The Framework says "a decision which will be taken in the CCITI"; the order says a package is "duly approved by the State Cabinet". No annual report read mentions the CCITI.

    1 p.14 2 p.13 1 p.12 InvestorLegal Provisions →
  7. Finding Source Official claim

    Which policies launched with it?

    Four, then four

    Four allied policies launched on 4 April 2016 and four on 15 September 2016. IoT and e-Waste followed on 10 October 2017.

    Why

    The first four were Rural Tech Centres, Innovation, Electronics and Gaming & Animation. The second four were Cyber Security, Data Centres, Data Analytics and Open Data. The tracker's other records give 1 July and 1 September for the second batch.

    4 p.4 5 p.6 6 p.6 Research Connections →

Provisions

Source
Targets
Double exports from Rs 68,232 cr; double employment from 4 lakh; 3 Tier-II IT hubs, all "in 5 years". 1 p.12
Mega investment definition
Over Rs 200 cr, or over 1,000 jobs, or strategic importance. 1 p.12 2 p.9
Common incentives
Land on cost plus a lease option; industrial power tariff; 100% stamp duty reimbursement on the first transaction, 50% on the second, not for mega projects; patent costs up to Rs 5 lakh (India) and Rs 10 lakh (international); 20% of quality certification cost up to Rs 4 lakh. 2 p.11 2 p.13
Land conditions
Hyderabad land needs 500 new jobs and 50,000 sq ft per acre within 3 years, or the land can be taken back; Tier II needs 150 jobs and 25,000 sq ft. 2 p.12
One category only
A company may claim under one category. 2 p.23
Mega package Unclear
Tailor-made, "duly approved by the State Cabinet" (order) or decided in the CCITI (Framework). 2 p.13 1 p.14
Tier-II incentives
Municipal taxes reimbursed for three years for the first 5 companies and parks in each town; Rs 10 lakh to the first 5 anchor units with over 250 IT or 500 ITeS staff; recruitment assistance Rs 20,000 per employee for 50 hires a year through TASK. 2 p.15
Self-certification
IT units are exempt from inspection under seven named labour and factory Acts, barring complaints. 2 p.19
Process
Applications are filed online with a physical copy, scrutinised by a CCITI sub-committee under the Special Secretary, then the CCITI; "The interpretation and decisions of the Government is final". 2 p.23 2 p.25
IT Coordination Committee
Meets quarterly, chaired by the Principal Secretary; members' terms are "co-terminus with the tenure of the ICT Policy 2016". 3 p.1 3 p.2
Duration
Five years from immediate effect. 2 p.26
No review clause Unclear
Neither document sets a review, monitoring or reporting duty. 1 2

Who it affects

  • IT/ITES companies Benefit Apply once per category. 2 p.11 2 p.23
  • Mega-project investors Unclear Two stated deciders: the CCITI and the State Cabinet. 1 p.14 2 p.13
  • Tier-II anchor units Benefit Cash grant and municipal tax reimbursement. 2 p.15
  • SC/ST and women-owned IT firms Benefit Own rate cards. 2 p.17 2 p.18
  • CCITI, TSIIC, TASK Duty Scrutinise applications, allot land, disburse recruitment aid. 1 p.14 1 p.21 2 p.13
  • Benefiting companies Duty To join green and waste initiatives "through appropriate legislation". 1 p.35

Evidence

What the record shows, with its basis and date. State figures are labelled as state-reported.

Measure Value As of Grounding and sources
IT/ITES exportsState statistic Rs 1,45,522 cr FY2020-21 Source Statistic 9 p.6
IT/ITES exportsState statistic Rs 1,28,807 cr FY2019-20 Source Statistic 8 p.5
Direct IT employmentState statistic 6,28,615 FY2020-21 Source Statistic 9 p.6
Direct IT employmentState statistic 9,05,715 FY2022-23 Source Statistic 10 p.5
Doubling base, exportsThe policy's text, for 2014-15 Rs 68,232 cr 2016 Source Instrument 1 p.12
Tier-II towers openDated openings 3 Dec 2020 Source Official claim 4 p.23 9 p.7

Data warnings

  • Three bases for "doubling": 68,232 (policy text), 66,276 (department series for the same year), 57,258 (2013-14, used by the department's own claims), plus 75,000 in the 2021 policy. They give FY2020-21, FY2020-21, FY2019-20 and FY2021-22. 1 p.12 4 p.2 7 p.5 11 p.8
  • Rs 1.2 lakh crore is the department's "by 2020" statement, not a policy target; 10 lakh jobs is the 2021 policy's. Both circulate as the 2016 targets. 6 p.4 11 p.8
  • Annual-report figures are "tentative and subject to revision"; the 2019-20 report converts NASSCOM dollar figures. 4 p.2 8 p.5
  • The 2014-15 value 68,232 is in no annual report. 1 p.12
  • "Hub" is undefined, so "3 hubs" is a count of towers. 1 p.12

Gaps in the record

  • No source attributes any outcome to the policy.
  • No evaluation, audit or review exists.
  • G.O.Ms.No.03 (12 Apr 2016) was not found; the G.O. register search failed.
  • No count of incentives granted or of CCITI decisions.
  • No source for "28 in-principle agreements" or "4 mega investments".
  • The incentives order has no number or start date.
  • Whether the IT Coordination Committee ever met is unknown.

Connections

Trajectory

Dates are shown only as precisely as the source gives them.

  1. 1 4 Apr 2016 ICT Policy Framework launched at HICC with four allied policies 4 p.4
  2. 2 12 Apr 2016 G.O.Ms.No.03 on ICT Policy 2016, as cited by G.O.Ms.No.9 3 p.1
  3. 3 15 Sep 2016 Four sectoral policies unveiled 5 p.6
  4. 4 29 Jun 2017 G.O.Ms.No.9 constitutes the IT Coordination Committee 3 p.1
  5. 5 10 Oct 2017 IoT and e-Waste policies released 6 p.6
  6. 6 21 Jul 2020 Karimnagar IT Tower inaugurated 9 p.7
  7. 7 7 Dec 2020 Khammam IT Tower inaugurated 9 p.7
  8. 8 After Mar 2021 FY2020-21 exports Rs 1,45,522 cr, jobs 6,28,615 9 p.6
  9. 9 16 Sep 2021 2nd ICT Policy unveiled 12
  10. 10 6 May 2023 Mahabubnagar IT Tower inaugurated 10 p.11

Sources

Source Derived Interpretation
  1. primary ICT Policy Framework 2016 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Apr 2016 · No date is printed in the text. Page numbers are the printed footers (PDF page + 3).
  2. primary Incentives for Expansion of IT / ITeS Companies ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Undated; no G.O. number printed. Page numbers are the printed footers (PDF page + 1).
  3. primary G.O.Ms.No.9, ICT Policy 2016: Constitution of IT Coordination Committee ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 29 Jun 2017 · Cites G.O.Ms.No.03 of 12.04.2016 on ICT Policy 2016, which was not found or read.
  4. primary IT, E&C Dept. Annual Report 2015-16 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2016 · Image-only. Pages 1-24 read; pages 25-28 not read. Figures are "tentative and subject to revision".
  5. primary Annual Report 2016-17 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2017
  6. primary Annual Report 2017-18 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2018
  7. primary Annual Report 2018-19 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2019
  8. primary Annual Report 2019-20 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2020
  9. primary Annual Report 2020-21 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Jun 2021
  10. primary IT&EC Department Annual Report 2022-23 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Jun 2023 · The last report in the series. Page numbers are the printed footers (PDF page - 2).
  11. primary Telangana's 2nd ICT Policy 2021-2026 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Sep 2021 · Removed from the department site, which returns 404. Read via the Wayback Machine. The PDF is image-only; pages 1-9 read.
  12. primary Launch of Telangana's 2nd ICT Policy ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 16 Sep 2021 · The live page returns 404. Read via the Wayback Machine.
  13. primary ITE&C Department downloads page ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · read 23 Oct 2026 · Lists the 2016 policies. The 2021 policy is absent.
  14. primary ITE&C Government Orders listing ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · read 23 Oct 2026 · Lists 10 G.O.s, all 2016-17. G.O.Ms.No.03 is not among them.

Signals and summaries are written by Social Systems Lab from the sources above. They describe the law and the public record, not legal advice.