The export of software from Punjab and Haryana is witnessing a hefty increase. This is evident from Haryana rising atleast six points to emerge at number nine position in the country from its number 15 position in 2006.
The Mohali centre of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) has also clocked the highest export figures in the last seven years. The software exports, that were Rs 890 crore in 1999-2000, crossed Rs 14,000 crore mark in 2006-07 in Haryana. In 2007-08, the state government has set a target of software export worth Rs 15,000 crore. The Software Technology Park at Mohali in Punjab is targeting software exports of over Rs 1200 crore in next three years.
Sources in Haryana’s Information and Technology Department said the state had improved its ranking as per the latest e-Readiness Assessment Report released by department of information technology. The state is in the category of level one states in implementation of the core infrastructure projects of State Wide Area Network (SWAN) for connecting all its offices to block level with a project outlay of Rs 102.62 crore. The work has commenced and connectivity upto block level is likely to be achieved by December 31.
The Mohali center of STPI has already recorded a software export worth Rs 450 crore from the region and is set to touch the Rs 500 crore mark in the coming few months. From 133 units since its inception in 1999, the number of units involved in software export has gone up to 250. The top five STPI units include Quark, Infosys Technologies, Dell Computers Private Limited and IDS Infotech.
At least thirty small companies have registered with STPI and are expected to start operations in the coming months. “We are expecting a big jump by the end of this year. We will be touching Rs 650 crore mark for software exports by the end of March in 2008,” claim STPI sources. The software exports from Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh are set to achieve a 40% growth this financial year.
As compared to a national average growth of 33%, the growth in this region has been the highest across the country say IT experts.
With Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park attracting companies like Infosys and Tech Mahindra, the region offers huge opportunities to job seekers too.
Be it the coming of the Taj Hotel to Chandigarh or the proposal to convert the city airport to a state-of-the-art international terminal, it’s all because of IT, say sources.