It's payback time for Oriya NRI Bailochan Behera, who has opened the Indian arm here of a $7-million (Rs.300 million) IT company he owns in the US.
 
"I have always had an emotional attachment for Orissa and I cannot forget what the state has done for all of us. For example, free education is just one of the many benefits we received," Behera told IANS in an e-mail interview.

Behera's Systems Technology International Inc (STI), which he started in 1996, is running its Indian offshore development centre out of an 8,000-sq ft facility. The centre, which employs 60 people, is the company's third worldwide and its first in India.
 
The company employs 100 professionals at its headquarters at Novi in Michigan and in Georgetown, Guyana.

Born in Keonjhar, Behera has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Regional Engineering College, Rourkela, and a master's degree in computer engineering from Michigan's Wayne State University.

Behera, who left Orissa 25 years ago, is settled in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills in Michigan. He is married and has two children.

"I always had the sincere desire to contribute to the progress and development of my home state. Apart from this, I feel that Orissa is suitable for starting a company from a business point of view also," he said.

"For example, the cost of doing business in Bhubaneswar is far lower, compared to cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai or Delhi. This creates a very good competitive advantage for businesses in Orissa," he maintained.

According to him, overseas Oriyas "can make a difference in the development of the state by providing a momentum to the local economy.

"However, a lot of them are still sceptical about the business conditions in the state and are afraid of taking risks," Behera maintained.

"I personally feel that helping people by donating money is only a temporary solution and only makes them further dependent. By making people financially independent by providing jobs, we would be helping them in the long term.

"Creating well-paying professional jobs improves the economy, which will in turn contribute to the overall development of the state," Behara said.

STI provides professional services in the areas of IT, engineering and web development. Its most recent accomplishment has been the development of stiPASS, a Personnel Acquisition Software System that helps in automating the recruitment and hiring process.