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India's 2004 software sales to Europe seen at $4 billion

India's software exports to Europe are expected to jump to $4 billion in 2004 from $1.4 billion this year, largely helped by efforts of Indian firms to find new markets, the country's software body said on Friday.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies said Indian software firms were aggressively pursuing European clients after an economic slowdown in their key market, the United States, which accounts for 60 per cent of sales. The association also planned to hold road shows and negotiate with European nations to relax work permits for Indian software professionals to help them work for clients in Europe, its chairman Phiroz Vandrewala said in a statement.

It also plans to launch special schemes in India to teach European languages such as German, French and Italian to Indian software professionals, Vandrewala said.

Revenues of India's software firms have grown over 50 per cent in recent years but progress has been curbed by an economic downturn in the US.

Nasscom had earlier this week lowered its total software exports growth forecast to between 40 and 45 per cent for the current year from its earlier forecast of 52 per cent.

India is now expected to export software worth $8.5 billion to $9 billion in fiscal 2002 from $6.2 billion in 2001.

The Nasscom statement said Europe's export share of $1.4 billion in 2001 accounted for a 63 per cent increase over the previous year's $930 million.

Under its European initiative, Nasscom is organising an India-Norway IT business meeting next week in India's tech capital Bangalore, during Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg's visit.

Vandrewala said India's IT exports to Norway were expected to increase to $100 million in fiscal 2005 from the current $10 million.

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