Economic Survey - IT/ ITES sector boosts employment

The growth of the IT/ ITES sector has had a salutary effect on the employment scenario, with total number of professionals employed in the sector growing from an estimated 2,84,000 in 1999-2000 to 12,87,000 in 2005-06.

The Economic Survey released on Tuesday further pointed out that the sector has helped create an additional 30 lakh job opportunities through indirect and induced employment in telecom, power, and construction industries, among others.

Meanwhile, the Survey also pointed out that electronics hardware exports touched Rs 8,500 crore for the fiscal year 2005-06 against Rs 8,000 crore in the previous year, whereas computer software exports rose to Rs 1,03,200 crore from Rs 78,230 crore.

The production of consumer electronics increased to Rs 18,000 crore for the year 2005-06 from Rs 16,800 crore in the previous year, against industrial electronics that grew to Rs 8,800 crore from Rs 8,300 crore last fiscal.

As per the Survey, computer production stood at Rs 10,800 crore for the year 2005-06 from Rs 8,800 crore. Communication and broadcasting equipment production rose to Rs 7,000 crore from Rs 4,800 crore last year.

The Ministry of Information Technology data estimates that while the production of software for exports increased to Rs 1,03,200 crore in the year 2005-06 against Rs 78,230 crore, the domestic software production touched Rs 26,460 crore from Rs 19,630 crore in the previous year.

The annual survey highlights that total electronics exports that includes electronics hardware as well as computer software stood at Rs 1,11,700 crore as on 2005-06 (Rs 86,230 crore) .