India Software Industry

The India Software Industry has brought about a tremendous success for the emerging economy. The software industry is the main component of the Information technology in India. India's pool of young aged manpower is the key behind this success story. Presently there are more than 500 software firms in the country which shows the monumental advancement that the India Software Industry has experienced.

The Indian Software Industry has grown from a mere US $ 150 million in 1991-92 to a staggering US $ 5.7 billion in 1999-2000. No other Indian industry has performed so well against the global competition. According to statistics, India's software exports reached total revenues of ` 46100 crores. The total share of India's exports in the global market rose form 4.9 per cent in 1997 to 20.4 percent in 2002-03.

It is expected that the India Software Industry will generate a total employment of around four million people, which accounts for 7 per cent of India's total GDP, in the year 2008. Today, the Software Industry in India exports software and services to nearly 95 countries around the world. The share of North America (U.S. & Canada) in India's software exports is about 61 per cent. In 1999-2000, more than one third of Fortune 500 companies outsourced their software requirements to India.

The Government has also played a vital role in the development of the India Software Industry. In 1986, the Indian government announced a new software policy which was designed to serve as a catalyst for the software industry. This was followed in 1988 with the World Market Policy and the establishment of the Software Technology Parks of India (STP) scheme. In addition, to attract foreign direct investment, the Indian Government permitted foreign equity of up to 100 percent and duty free import on all inputs and products.

The software industry being the main component of the IT Industry in India has also helped the IT sector in India to grow at a good pace. As per the proceedings taking place in the software industry the future of the India Software Industry looks promising.