K'taka software exports up 33%

BANGALORE: The Software Technology Parks of India-Bangalore (STPI-B) has

announced that the total software exports from Karnataka for the financial year

2001-02 was clocked at Rs 9,903 crore, posting a growth of 33 per cent as

against the performance of last year.

It has projected a growth of 40 to 45 per cent growth for the current year.

Last year alone there were 110 new companies registered under the STPI scheme in

Karnataka, taking the total number of companies in Karnataka under the STPI

scheme to 1038. Atleast 60 per cent of the 110 companies were foreign equity

companies approved during last year. The total capital investments for STP units

during 2001-02 in Karnataka has been recorded at Rs 1383 crore with foreign

equity companies share being Rs 832 crore.

"Growing at the rate of 33 per cent during these tough times is very

good. It is well above the industry average of 29 per cent announced by Nasscom,

yesterday. As for the projections the growth of IT enabled services companies in

Karnataka has boosted our projections for next year. In the month of April 2002,

alone, 15 proposals to set up companies under the STPI scheme has been

submitted. In this rate the number of companies and revenue from them is

expected to be well over 45 per cent growth," said, STPI-B, Director, BV

Naidu.

Infosys topped as software exporter overall and in major Indian company

category, while IBM Global Services topped in the Foreign Equity Company.

Talisma topped as the top software exporter in the Small and Medium Enterprise

category. Exports to North America continued to be the gainer with 69 per cent

of the total Rs 9,903 crore, followed by Europe with 21 per cent, West Asia-5

per cent, Japan-3 per cent and Rest of the world-2 per cent.

Application Software continued to be the highest concentration of the 1038

companies garnering 37 per cent, followed by Telecom with 18 per cent, System

Software with 17 per cent, Embedded with & per cent, IC Design with 6 per

cent and others 10 per cent. IT enabled services which was absent last year has

contributed 5 per cent to the total software export revenue.

The Electronics Hardware Technology Park in Karnataka has registered 128 per

cent growth this year with the exports revenue touching Rs 838 crore, as

compared to last years revenue of Rs 367 crore. There were three new EHTP

companies approved this year.

In the destination of the products from EHTP, America lead with 38 per cent,

closely followed by Europe with 33 per cent. In the segment wise categorisation

of the exports Medical Equipments lead with 49 per cent followed by Telecom at

27 per cent and UPS at 16 per cent. Wirpo-GE Medical System was the top

contributor of EHTP exports from the state.

Mysore, Manipal, Magalore, Hubli and Belgaum are the other cities, which STPI

has identified as high growth potential areas for software and hardware in the

state, apart from Bangalore.