State’s software exports register 14 percent growth

The New Indian Express, 27 May 2004

The export of software from the State during the financial year ended on March 2004 has registered an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous financial year.

According to official sources, the export of software during the 2003-04 fiscal has crossed the Rs.211-crore-mark. While the software export from the units registered with the Software Technology Parks India, Thiruvananthapuram, (STPI-T) during this period was Rs.200 core, the export from the companies operating from the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was around Rs.11 crore.

The export from the STPI-T registered companies during 2002-03 financial year was only Rs.165 crore and those from SEZ was Rs.20 crore.

Though final figures regarding the software export from other states during 2003-04 are yet to come out, the performance of Kerala is not likely to come anywhere near them. In 2002-03, the software export from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were Rs.4,100 crore, Rs.7,500 crore and Rs.14,100 crore respectively. During that period, South India, except Kerala, contributed to 56 percent of the exports of software in the country where as the export from Kerala stood at Rs.185 crore.

The top software products exporters from the State during 2003-04 fiscal were US Software, IBS Software Services, Nest, ARS Software Engineering, Document Management Pvt Ltd, SunTec Business Solutions and RM Education Solutions India, all based in Technopark.

‘‘The exact figures of the export of each company are being verified. However, the export figures for the 2003-04 fiscal is an indication of the stable growth. The exact export figures during the above mentioned period would be a little higher as there are several other small and medium companies in the State which do not come under either the STPI-T or SEZ in Kochi,’’ K.Ramesh Kumar, director, STPI, Thiruvananthapuram, said.

‘‘Like in the previous years, majority of the leading exporters had been exploring the US market. But the trend is likely to alter with a number of new companies in the State targeting the European market have been on steady increase,’’ he said.

According to SEZ development commissioner Paul Antony, though the companies within the SEZ have come down this time, SEZ is expected to achieve a quantum leap in software exports in the current financial year. The number of companies under the SEZ was 13 during the previous financial year. And the number of companies registered with the STPI-T and exported software during this period was 115.

STPI-T has designed and developed a Software Exporters Network (softNET) exclusively for software exporters. The High Speed Data Communication (HSDC) facilities are the backbone of the software development activities and are being provided to the member STPI-T units.

According to Technopark authorities, the number of employment opportunities in software development in the State had increased to 1,500 during 2003-04. More than 1,000 professionals were recruited by various companies in the Technopark here alone during this period. Most of the recruitments were confined to the entry-level.