Doe Figures Show 51% Rise In Exports

India's electronics exports, including software, have grown 51 per cent to an estimated Rs 9,500 crore in 1997-98 from Rs 6,287 crore in 1997-98, according to figures of the department of electronics (DoE).

Of the total exports, computer software accounted for Rs 6,500 crore, a growth of 75 per cent over the Rs 3,700 crore registered in the last financial year, while exports of consumer electronics accounted for Rs 600 crore, a 12.1 per cent growth over Rs 535 crore in 1996-97. Industrial electronics exports stood at Rs 200 crore in 1997-98 (Rs 170 crore in 1996-97), computers exports at Rs 1,250 crore (Rs 932 crore), communication and broadcast equipment exports at Rs 100 crore (Rs 400 crore), strategic electronics exports at Rs 10 crore (Rs 30 crore) and components exports at Rs 840 crore (Rs 520 crore). The production of consumer electronics in the country has grown 16 per cent to Rs 7,600 crore in 1997-98 from Rs 6,500 crore in 1996-97, while the total electronics production, including domestic software and software for exports, has grown 20 per cent to Rs 32,070 crore from Rs 26,640 crore.

DoE has observed in its annual report for 1997-98 that the colour television industry, the single largest constituent of consumer electronics, continued its healthy momentum of growth to end 1997-98 with a growth of 23 per cent.

The department says significant developments took place during the year in the area of colour picture tubes, with both the existing manufacturers commissioning their second production line. The third colour picture tube plant, out of operation for the last few years, was revived and a fourth plant went into commercial production. As a result, the installed colour picture tube capacity went up three-fold. The production of domestic software increased 33.4 per cent to Rs 3,470 crore in 1997-98 from Rs 2,600 crore in 1996-97, of industrial electronics to Rs 3,150 crore (Rs 3,100 crore in the previous year), of computers to Rs 2,800 crore from Rs 2,740 crore, of communication and broadcast equipment to Rs 3,250 crore from Rs 3,000 crore, of strategic electronics to Rs 900 crore from Rs 1,300 crore and of components to Rs 4,400 crore from Rs 3,700 crore.