Salt Kolkata’s lakes were once famous for being tranquil bodies of water surrounded by attractive walking paths and manicured gardens. Today, that serenity still remains, but much of the skyline, particularly in District V and the nearby New Town, is filled with towering office blocks built of glass and steel, technology parks and sophisticated corporate campuses housing global information technology (IT) giants, BPOs and fintech startups. It is now considered the digital pulse of the Bengali capital and is riding the crest of an incredible IT wave that has earned it the nickname the Silicon Valley of the East. Over the past decade, the district is experiencing a second boom as many IT companies gear up for the show. Over the past seven years, it has expanded to over 1,500 IT companies employing more than 260,000 people. As a result, Kolkata’s IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) exports more than doubled from Rs 6,684 crore in FY18 to Rs 14,268 crore in FY25, according to the Union government’s Software Technology Park of India (STPI).