Currently Russia controls 3% of the offshore software development market and is the third leading country (after India and China) among software exporters.

India's leading software exporter, Infosys Technologies, plans to add as many as 2,000 employees.

A software exporter, Wipro Ltd., reported a lower-than-expected 5 percent increase in quarterly profit as it cut prices to fend off competitors.

The software exporter Infosys Technologies reported a 33 percent increase in its quarterly earnings, aided by increased outsourcing by global corporations.

Tamil Nadu is the second largest software exporter by value in India, second only to Karnataka.

India's third-largest software exporter, Wipro Ltd., said quarterly profit rose 4.4 percent on increased demand for its services to other companies.

Chennai is the second largest software exporter in India, next to Bangalore.

India, a democracy and a software exporter, tried at first to monopolize Internet connections but gave up under public pressure for better services.

India's second-biggest software exporter, Infosys Technologies, said its third-quarter profit rose 24 percent, to 2.06 billion rupees ($43 million).

However, only a few large companies - 25 of them - have been registered as software exporters with branch offices abroad.