Bangalore: Karnataka registered a three-year high in software and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) exports to touch Rs 18,100 crores ($ 4 billion) for 2003-04, a 46 per cent jump over Rs 12,350 crore in the previous fiscal.

The State's hardware exports stood at Rs 1,700 crore last fiscal, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Additional Director J Parthasarathy said today (June 1, 2004).

Last year, 168 new firms were added with an investment of Rs 2,400 crores, including 110 foreign firms who invested Rs 1,970 crores in Bangalore. 44 new BPO firms were set up during the period.

"The State has a 36 per cent share in India's software exports which is much higher than any other centre. We are expecting to keep the momentum of above 30 per cent growth this fiscal," STPI director B V Naidu said.

Bangalore registered the bulk of exports at Rs 17,474 crore while Mangalore with Rs 456 crore and Mysore with Rs 180 crore were the other cities exporting software. BPO exports were Rs 2,237 crores, a jump of 126 per cent over the previous fiscal.

Enterprise application software had a 49 per cent share in the exports, while exports from technology firms was 25 per cent with the remaining 26 per cent by BPO firms.

"Venture capital firms which are investing in American and UK BPO and technology companies are insisting on having a base in Bangalore," Naidu said.