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India's export-driven information technology sector hopes the interim budget will extend the Software Technology Park of India (STPI) scheme beyond 2010, when it is set to expire, a trade body chief said on Tuesday.
Units situated in software technology parks falling under the scheme's umbrella are eligible for a 10-year income tax holiday, in addition to other benefits.
"We are hoping that there will be some positive announcements towards supporting IT exporters," said Ganesh Natarajan, chairman of National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom).
Natarajan said he hoped the government would take several steps, including a greater thrust on e-governance initiatives and higher education, to boost domestic consumption.
"(We hope for) nothing very specific but more of extension of schemes for the IT sector and for education so the sector continues to grow."
"But it's not essential in this interim budget, it can even happen in the next formal budget," he added.
India's largely export-oriented software sector's scorching pace of growth has been crimped by the economic slowdown in the US, which accounts for more than half of the sector's export revenues.
Earlier this month, Nasscom slashed its software and services export target for the year ending March 2009 to about $47 billion, a growth of 16-17 percent and slower from an earlier target of 21-24 percent.
The interim budget will be presented on February 16.
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