Even better news is that the PC sales will continue to see a similar growth this year and touch a magical 2-million annual sale mark by the end of 2000-2001, according to estimates made by the Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT). ``We foresee a higher growth in PC sales due to the boom in dot coms and ISPs and the overall interest in the Internet that the country is currently witnessing,'' said MAIT director Vinnie Mehta.

The sale of 1.5 million PC has also resulted in growing the industry's annual revenue to Rs 10,000 crore at the end of the fiscal 1999-2000. This is approximately 20 per cent higher in revenue terms from last year's Rs 8,400 crore. The industry had registered an 18 per cent growth over 1997-98.At a press conference here on Wednesday, MAIT president Hemant Bharat Ram expressed hope that the creation of special economic zones as pronounced in the Exim policy would help increase the foreign direct investment in the sector. ``The deregulated model would help attract investments in manufacturing and trading alike. The setting up of SEZs in line with the economic zones in China is a step forward towards integrating India with the global economy,'' he said.

Simplification of procedures was a major demand of the industry and with the government having conceded it, a fillip could be expected to the domestic manufacturing industry, he added.