Meghalaya, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday inaugurated the Shillong Tech Park – II at New Shillong Township, Umsawli, in thr presence of Minister Sanbor Shullai, Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil Ahammed, and officials of the IT Department.
Phase-II adds 1.8 lakh square feet of ready-to-occupy technology space built at a cost of Rs 121 crore. It is the largest single addition of dedicated IT space made in the State so far.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said today almost feels like a dream come true, as the idea of an IT Park / Tech Park / Innovation hub was first conceived by him in 2008 to provide space and ecosystem for innovation, enterprise and technology to thrive in Shillong.
During the inaugural ceremony, key agreement were inked with StaffFlex LLP, a Shillong-based company providing business process management services to clients in the UK, Shamrock AI, a Shillong-based multinational already present in Phase I, now taking additional space in Phase II, Alorica, US-based multinational will take up two floors, the largest single commitment in the new building, Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI-COE) will be hosted at the park, sponsored under the IndiaAI Mission of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The Chief Minister informed that Phase-II is close to fully booked before inauguration, which is the clearest evidence that demand for Grade-A technology space in Shillong exceeds supply.
He noted that local companies like StaffFlex and Shamrock AI are taking space alongside multinationals, proving the park is not just a location for external firms but premises from which companies founded in Meghalaya serve international clients.
The Chief Minister said Meghalaya is today one of the fastest growing economies in the country, having more than doubled its economy from 2018 till date, with a target to double again by 2032. “This has been possible due to policy stability. Meghalaya is 54 years old and has seen 27 governments, some lasting less than a month. The present government is running its 8th year – the longest continuing government in the history of Meghalaya, which is critical for growth,” he said.
He said Tech Park alone cannot work without an ecosystem. He said the largest dedicated football stadium in the country would be built at a cost of Rs. 700 crore. Besides, there will be new Secretariat at New Shillong to be ready for shifting by August 2027 and creation of a planned administrative city.
“From zero 5-star hotels in 2018 we now have 10 in pipeline, including one next to the IT park; from no flights in 2018 we have started runway extension work, enabling large commercial flights at Shillong Airport by September-October 2027. Shillong Airport will be less than 20 minutes from the IT Park,” he said.
He stressed on professionalism and discipline, citing that he reached the venue at 4:15 pm for a 4:30 pm programme and started walking at 4:29 pm to start on time.
The Chief Minister said the most important part for IT growth is human resource adding that 50% of Meghalaya’s population is below 20 years and only 5-6 lakh are above 45 years.
“The youth are tech-savvy, explore, innovate and are linked to global trends,” he said, and informed that the Government is funding skilling through MSSDS, the Meghalaya Skills program, the first Government Engineering College established 2 years ago, and a Skill University coming up in the vicinity in about 1.5 to 2 years.
He called for partnership with companies to tailor-make courses as per industry needs and to identify niche gaps instead of doing everything.
The Chief Minister said Shillong should become a Centre of Excellence for Northeast India, BIMSTEC and Southeast Asia, a solution provider and a technology hub where people come for innovation.
He noted that Government itself is one of the largest consumers of technology today, and solutions implemented in Meghalaya can be replicated in other states.
Recalling his visit to Berkeley in 2018-19, the headquarters of innovation, where he met industry leaders who are now investing in Meghalaya, he said Shillong should be known like Berkeley – where innovation leaders meet.
He said the Park should be seen as a Tech and Innovation Park, not just IT, pushing entrepreneurship beyond computer-based technology.
On the signing of agreements, the Chief Minister said he is against MoUs which are often false promises. “This is real. The signing of the agreement is real. The jobs we are creating are real. We don’t want big stories and big MoUs. We will do few things but do them well.”
He also appreciated that the IT Department followed his direction of not felicitating the Chief Minister in their own programme, but felicitating guests like Vice Chancellor of MLCU and Rangbah Shnong and other contributors.
