AP software exports may touch Rs 25,000 cr

Infrastructure to be beefed up to fuel growth.

The export of software services from Andhra Pradesh is set to touch the Rs 25,000 crore mark by the end of the present fiscal, a growth of around 35 per cent from last year.

The state, which is fast ramping up in this sector, is investing further on infrastructure to facilitate the growth.

M Gopikrishna, special secretary, IT & Communications Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh said in Bangalore on Wednesday that the focus on infrastructure development is paying off and the rate of growth of software exports has been above the 30 per cent mark.

"Our target is to touch the $10 billion mark by 2010 from $5 billion during 2006-07. Many of the global IT firms are setting up base and expanding rapidly in AP," he added.

This focus on infrastructure development is indeed paying off and of the 100-plus IT-specific special economic zones cleared by the Centre, nearly 40 of them are in AP.

"We are aggressively wooing global firms to set up their units here. Nearly 100 million square feet is being planned and executed over the next five to six years for this growth," he added.

The government of Andhra Pradesh, in an effort to show the growth of its infrastructure, is holding a Hyderabad IT Summit 2008 during March 20-22.

"The summit will focus on emerging trends in global IT industry and infrastructure demands in the present phase of developments. It will also widely address the IT infrastructure needs of large businesses and small to mid-size enterprises," added Gopikrishna.

Infosys, Google to expand in AP

Infosys Technologies is set to put up its largest campus in Hyderabad. The company recently got 450 acres in Hyderabad and could start work within the next six months.

Similarly, Google, which has a software centre in Hyderabad has secured 20 acres and is putting up a large campus capable of seating 4,000 engineers over five years, said M Gopikrishna, special secretary, IT & Communications Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.