SW exports at $4 b in Karnataka

BANGALORE: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) has reported that Karnataka's software exports touched around Rs 18,100 crore, an increase of 46 percent over last year. This unprecedented growth is higher than what Bangalore achieved in the last three years.

Around 168 software export companies and five new electronic hardware export companies registered with the STPI in 2003-04. Hardware exports from the state stood at Rs 1,700 crore. The BPO segment also witnessed tremendous growth with 44 new BPO companies getting approval to set up shop. BPO exports recorded a 126 percent increase from last year, clocking Rs 2,237 crore in revenues. The segment employs more than 60,000 people and accounts for 13 percent of the overall Bangalore exports.

Revealing the details of the performance of the IT industry in Karnataka, STPI- Bangalore director, BV Naidu said, "When competition has largely dented billing rates of software services and appreciation of rupee against the dollar, a growth rate of 46 percent is phenomenal. This reflects the Indian software companies' ability to redefine their business dynamics to move up the software value chain."

Around 110 companies with 100 percent foreign equity are registered with an investment of around Rs 1,970 crore. The growth is not just restricted to Bangalore. Other cities like Mysore, Mangalore and Manipal are also catching up. Incubation facilities and the de-centralized Datacom and Statutory Services through STPI centers in these cities have boosted export growth of industries by 177 percent in Mysore and 38 percent in Mangalore/Manipal.

Some of the global companies that received approval to start operations in 2003-04 include Juniper Networks, Applied Materials, AMD India's Engineering Center, Kyocera Wireless, Google, Reuters and Bosch Technology Center.

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