TN software exports post 20% growth in 2008-09

Bucking the trend of economic slowdown, Tamil Nadu's software exports clocked a healthy 20 per cent growth, touching Rs 34,186 crore during the 2008-09 fiscal, official sources said.    

Tamil Nadu had reported software exports worth Rs 28,489 crore in 2007-08 with a robust growth rate of 37.60 per cent over Rs 20,701 crore the previous fiscal.    

The growth during the last fiscal also assumes importance as it has come against the backdrop of a marginal decrease in the number of IT units set up in Chennai.    

As compared to 139 units set up in 2007-08, the number dropped to 110 units in 2008-09, the sources said.    

Speaking to PTI, a top government official said though IT firms were showing signs of growth with no stagnation in recruitment, it was now time for them to reorganise themselves.    

He said most IT parks in Tamil Nadu were also not impacted by the slowdown but cautioned that they should reorganise themselves and deliver top performance to manage the current crisis.    

Once the infrastructure facilities were completed in the IT parks coming up in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, they were expected to be operational by year-end.    

"The occupancy level in these IT parks will only increase once there are signs of recovery", the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Just like the slowdown which started to impact in a phased manner, the recovery should also happen in a phased manner", the official said.    

On the lay-offs, the official said there was retrenchement in some IT companies, but expressed the hope that the situation would improve once the markets recovered.    

However, the official said many IT companies are retaining their employees as some of the projects in which they were involved were "going strong."