According to the figures released for the second quarter of the current year, Bangalore had registered 18 companies, as against 21 and 14 by Hyderabad and Chennai respectively. With this, the total stands at 41, 31 and 20 for Karnataka, AP and TN. Interestingly, Hyderabad and Chennai registered 17 and 8 firms, which works out to more than 100 per cent growth in sheer numbers.

The only consoling factor for Bangalore is that the software revenue during the first half from Karnataka amounted to over Rs 1,000 crore as against the country's total exports revenue of Rs 2,200 crore. For the first five months of the current year, Hyderabad and Chennai reported arevenue figure of Rs 100 crore and Rs 120 crore.

``We are not looking at the number of software firms, but at the quality growth and the export revenue potential. Most of the firms are having their base in more than one state and we welcome competition,'' said V P Baligar, Commissioner for Industrial Development, Karnataka and Director of Industries and Commerce.

B V Naidu, director of the Sofware Technology Parks of India told #The Indian Express recently that when compared to last year's figures, the growth is stunning. ``The applications are cleared in batches so far, we have registered 41 firms. The revenue has crossed the Rs 1,000 crore mark as against the targeted of Rs 3,500 crore.''