For the nine-month period, income has increased by 29 per cent and net profit by 79 per cent on an annualised basis.

Sonata had posted a turnover of Rs 85.6 crore for the year ending March 1998 and expects to post a turnover of Rs 129 crore for the full year. Net profit last year stood at Rs 5.58 crore, while the projection for the current year are Rs 8.9 crore.

Sonata, which had recently entered the market with a public issue, is expected to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange on January 18.

Other targets include a turnover of Rs 200 crore by 2000 and a growth of over 60 per cent for the next few years.

Sonata is setting up a software development centre at Bangalore's Keonics technology park and another facility close to its Bull Temple Road offshore development centre. The company will spend Rs 21 crore of the Rs 23 crore issue proceeds on these centres.

Manpower is also expected to double from 800 people to around 1,500 in the next two years.

Sonata plans to open offices in Germany and Japan. The company's revenue from international operations has been on the rise and will account for 50 per cent of the turnover this year.