Chandigarh software Exporters Unfazed by Recession

At a time when most IT export units in India are suffering losses due to slowdown, software exporters from the Chandigarh capital region are bucking the trend. Despite the challenging economic conditions, software exports from Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali have managed to remain steady so far.

According to official data, software exports including exports from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in and around Chandigarh stood at Rs 1,049.93 crore during 2008-09 as compared to Rs 806.02 in the previous year. The sector thus recorded an impressive growth of 30.26%,largely fuelled by the rapid increase in the number of SMEs and start-ups in this region.

"Over the past few years, the number of small units operating in the software and services industry in Chandigarh has increased manifold. The share of their contribution to total software exports from the region has also risen substantially, thus driving the region's IT sector growth," said AK Mehrotra, spokesperson of Innovative Secure Technologies, a mid-sized IT company in Mohali.

As per official estimates, around 19 new IT Companies SMEs had registered with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and started their operations in 2008-09.

"Inception of new IT SMEs in the city has given a boost to the job market in the region, creating employment opportunities for thousands of young professionals. These units have also given a fillip to overall software export volumes. Moreover, with the increase in the number of SMEs, software exports from the region are also expected to grow significantly in the coming years," commented S Arora, an executive working with Netmax Technologies in Chandigarh.

Given the present growth rate in the software export industry, the STPI expects a further growth of 20% in IT exports from the Chandigarh region.

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