more-in Instead of rejoicing their escape from ‘WannaCry’ ransomware virus attack, the IT industry in Visakhapatnam, the main hub of Andhra Pradesh with an estimated turnover of ?2,000 crore, is having sleepless nights with the rupee becoming stronger. Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), after studying the impact of the dreaded virus on Business Process Management, Knowledge Process Management and IT software development units in the city, declared all of them safe. STPI Joint Director M.P. Dubey told The Hindu that they had also cautioned the units and their employees not to open malicious and unknown mails. The systems used by the companies in the city are secured as the managements have been upgrading anti-virus software as and when available. The virus noticed a few days ago, which affected systems across 150 countries, was also stated to have fetched $50,000 so far to the hackers despite corrupting over 2,00,000 systems. The attack encrypts files enabling the virus to spread like wildfire through Server Message Block in the systems. It hits the hard disc first and later spreads through systems on the LAN. “We are not bothered about the virus or H1B visa. Our concern is on the rupee turning stronger from business perspective. As vendors, our realisation through dollar-based contracts will come down,” Rushikonda IT Park Association vice-president O. Naresh Kumar said. As a fallout of Trump Presidency’s harsh measures to ensure ‘American jobs for Americans’, the onsite cost of deputing personnel from India has gone up abnormally. Shrinking margins “Thus the shrinking margins and the rupee gaining points will hit our transactions hard,” admitted CEO of an IT company. The IT industry representatives, during the recent visit to IT Minister Nara Lokesh, alleged a step-motherly treatment to investors in Visakhapatnam, and sought his intervention to give a big push to ‘Brand Vizag’ by roping in big players like Microsoft, Infosys and TCS to set up their development centres, encourage SMEs by providing them ready-made infrastructure like Raheja Mindspace (a world-class IT park) in Hyderabad. Vizag is home for Wipro, Tech Mahindra, HSBC, Concentrix, WNS and other leading IT companies. In the FinTech Tower opened at Rushikonda, Paytm has already started operations and Visa, Master Card and Thomson Reuters are expected to open their offices shortly.

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