STPI eyes Rs 30 cr exports from Nashik

Software exports from the Software Technology Park of India (STPI)-registered units in Nashik are expected to touch Rs 20 crore by the end of the current financial year. For the 2007-08 fiscal, STPI is eyeing exports worth Rs 30 crore.

According to sources, these units have exported software worth Rs 14 crore as on November 2006, and are expected to achieve Rs 20 crore exports by the end of the current financial year. "For the 2007-08 financial year, STPI is expecting software exports to the tune of Rs 30 crore from these units," they said.

So far, WNS Global Services, Aress Software & Education Technologies, Object Edge Software, Web DreamWorks, Thinking Minds.Com, eLuminous Technologies, ESDS Software Solutions, Winjit Technology, Webminds Infotech, Gega Infotech, Kaizen Overseas, MaGaJa InfoTech, Neumann Systems Software, Net Solutions India Private Limited, Illusion Graphix and Sai Softwares have registered themselves with the STPI.

During the last financial year, these units registered Rs 12 crore exports, and in 2004-05, the exports were at Rs 9.5 crore. During 2005-06, WNS Global Services and Aress Software registered exports worth Rs 5 crore and Rs 4 crore respectively.

Meanwhile, non-voice BPO service provider Datamatics Technologies Limited (DTL) is planning to start its unit in Nashik in the 2007 calendar year, and is expected to recruit around 500 professionals.

Besides, Mumbai-based Tricom India Limited (TIL), another non-voice BPO, is commencing its operations from here this month. TIL has leased a property of about 10,000 sft in the Satpur area of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). "Initially, Tricom is expected to recruit 400 people," the sources said.

Though Nashik churns out 300 IT professionals a year, a majority of them move out in search of greener pastures. The situation, however, is changing with Nashik emerging as the next destination for the IT and BPO companies. Besides, the land prices in Nashik are low, compared with Mumbai and Pune.

Adequate skilled manpower, availability of abundant space, water and proximity to Mumbai and Pune cities are the other pluses of the place.