Andhra aims third place in IT exports

Andhra Pradesh is targeting the third place in Information Technology exports in the country, a state government official said Wednesday. K. Ratna Prabha, principal secretary, IT, said the state, though started late in IT exports, has reached the fourth position. “Next year the state will reach third position,” she told a programme organised to announce that Hyderabad will host eINDIA 2010, India’s largest event on Information and Communication Technology. Karnataka tops in the IT exports in the country followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. She said the state, which started IT exports a decade ago, recorded Rs.32,000 crore IT exports during 2008-09. “The figures for 2009-10 are yet to be announced officially but the IT exports during the year reportedly stood at Rs.36,000 crore. The state has done well despite recession,” she said. The official said the state’s contribution to total IT exports from the country was 15 percent. “Karnataka is contributing 30 percent. We will work hard to touch that figure,” she said. Ratna Prabha also noted that the IT sector in Andhra Pradesh created 2.5 lakh direct and 10 lakh indirect jobs. P. Venugopal, Director, STPI (software technology parks of India), Hyderabad, said it would not be impossible to catch up with Karnataka in IT exports. “The cumulative exports from the state during last five years are higher than Karnataka. This shows we can compete with them,” he said.