Infrastructure gaps delay liquor service at Infopark Kochi despite Kerala’s new permit rule

The Infopark Kochi campus is unlikely to serve liquor anytime soon, despite the Kerala government permitting it in government-controlled or owned Information Technology (IT) Parks, due to infrastructure shortcomings.

Last week, the Kerala government notified the Foreign Liquor (5th Amendment) Rules, inserting a provision for the issuance of Foreign Liquor Information Technology Park Licence with an annual fee of ₹10 lakh to developers of IT parks. The beneficiaries include government-controlled/owned IT parks such as Techno Park, Info Park, Cyber Park, and parks operating on public-private partnership, such as SmartCity Kochi and Private Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services Parks. Only developers and not individual companies will be granted licences.

Susanth Kurunthil, CEO of Infopark Kochi, told The Hindu that the campus has no land or separate building to spare to set up or operate licensed premises in either Infopark Phase I or Phase II in compliance with the licence provisions. “We already have a long list of around 120 companies waiting for space on our campus. Our priority would be to set up IT buildings even if we were to find land,” he said.

Among the 28 conditions set for the issuance of licence to developers is that “the licensed premises should be a separate area inside the Information Technology Park premises, other than office space. The licensed room should have an independent entry and exit, other than the normal entry and exit of the connected organisation, of which the licensed premises may physically be a part.”

Anish Panthalani, president of Progressive Techies, a combine of IT employees, agreed that space constraint was indeed an issue on the Infopark campus. “Both the State government and Infopark Kochi have proposed a third phase for the IT park. The proposed licensed premises can be executed only if that materialises,” he said.

Mr. Panthalani said serving liquor within the IT park premises will only “improve” Kerala’s profile as a preferred IT destination. “Companies are facing difficulty in attracting quality hands here because of the limited avenues for leisure time activities, unlike in other IT destinations such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Noida. It also enables companies to host guests, including international clients, in a favourable ambience amongst like-minded social drinkers, since the facilities within the park would be inaccessible to the public,” he said.

As per the notification, the licensed premises will be accessible “only to the staff working in the Information Technology Parks and the official visitors/guests of the companies functioning in the Technology Park who shall have authorisation from the authority concerned in the Information Technology Park.”