Software export to hit Rs. 40,000 cr. by 2004

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 10. Software exports from Karnataka are projected to touch Rs. 40,000 crore in four years, an eightfold increase over last year, the Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Mr. R. V. Deshpande, said here on Monday.

Inaugurating the ``Get Connected'' seminar on IT education and industry, organised by the British Council, Mr. Deshpande said this target would be possible through cooperation between the industry and the Government. The IT industry in the country had been growing at a steady pace and the industry's revenue, which was Rs. 3,215 crores in 1993-94, had grown to Rs. 16,000 crore in 1999-2000, he said. The IT penetration outside the cities was expected to grow at an annual rate of 17.5 per cent over the next few years.

The IT-enabled services from India, including telecom, were targeted to have global revenues of $200 billion by 2010, Mr. Deshpande said. Venture capital finance for IT industry had increased by 100 per cent in the past few years. The State Government had, through its Millennium IT Policy, announced recently, planned to have five lakhs trained personnel in four years. The Secretary, Information Technology Department, Mr. Vivek Kulkarni, said the IT business could not be valued by older standards, and the Internet had benefited all industries and businesses, and even the average person in India.

The IT policy of the State planned for better connectivity for industry, and a third international gateway was to be set up in Mangalore, Mr. Kulkarni said. An international submerged cable network existed just six km from the coast and this would be connected to Mangalore and then to Bangalore by a fibre optic network. The success of IT companies in Karnataka could be gauged from the fact that the Texas Instruments India facility here had 110 patents to its credit. Similarly, the Motorola unit here was the first in that company to achieve CMM Level 5 capability in software development, Mr. Kulkarni said.

Prof. N. Chandrasekharan, Director, Centre for Development in Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in his keynote address explained how IT was being applied for the benefit of the average person, by partnership between the industry and the Government. He demonstrated the KSRTC's information site on the Web which had detailed table of 512 long-distance bus routes. One could find out the number of buses and their timings on a specific route and the places connected.

Mr. Jaspar Utley, Director (South India) of the British Council, said the ``Get connected'' series followed the announcement last year by Mr. Peter Hain, UK Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, that seminars would be held in India bringing together academicians and IT experts from the UK. The British Government had decided to grant ``fast track'' visas to IT and telecom professionals.

Dr. Raj S. Shirole of the Nottingham Business School, heading the U.K. delegation, proposed a vote of thanks.

The Minister for Industries, Mr. R. V. Deshpande (centre), lighting the lamp to inaugurate the ``Get connected'' seminar in Bangalore on Monday. Others seen (from left) are Prof. N. Chandrasekharan, Director, C-DAC, Mr. Jaspar Utley, Director, British Council, Dr. Raj Shirole of the Nottingham Business School, and Mr. Vivek Kulkarni, Secretary, IT Department.

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