Karnataka software export revenue to touch Rs 17,000 cr

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BANGALORE: Software exports revenue from Karnataka is expected to touch Rs

17,000 crore in 2003. On route in this direction is the STPI (Bangalore), which

has registered Rs 7,475 crore in software exports for the financial year

2000-2001 and accounted a whopping 72 per cent growth over the previous year,

expects the figure to rise to Rs 11,000 crore this year. Incidentally, the

software growth and revenue export accounts for the highest in the country.

As far as the contribution is concerned Infosys leads the pack, followed by

Wipro and TCS. Other significant contributors are Digital Equipments, i-Flex

solutions, Mphasis BFL, Lucent, HP, IBM and Philips as the top software

exporters in the State.

The number of new firms registered with the STPI, last fiscal was 165, among

which 34 per cent were 100 per cent foreign equity-owned firms. The total number

of registered firms in the State presently stood at 928, at March 2001. Out of

the nearly 497 new companies that had registered after the government announced

tax holidays for STPI-registered companies, last year, about 178 companies are

yet to commence its operations.

In the hardware sector, the Electronics Hardware technology Park (EHTP)

companies recorded Rs 357 crore, amounting to 82 per cent growth rate over the

last year. Wipro GE Medical System, Hical Magnetics, Tyco Electronics, TVS

Electronics, C_MAC Centum and VXL Instruments are some of the firms who have

contributed to this growth.

"Availability of immense talent and the industry’s successful run, a

pro-active policies of the state government and the cooperation between the

industry, academia, financial institutions are the main reasons for the success

of the software industry, " said STPI-Bangalore director BV Naidu.

The STPI is also on line to develop other potential cities in the state.

After setting up offices in and extending support to Mysore and Manipal, it now

plans to further extend to Mangalore and Hubli with assistance from the

Karnataka Government.