Country experience: India: compilation of software and information technology exports

6.92.        In view of the growing importance of exports of information technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has conducted an annual survey on software and IT services exports on a regular basis since September 2008. The survey covers elements of the EBOPS 2010 categories, including computer and information services, as well as a broad range of other business services, which may have a strong IT component (either to produce or to deliver the service). The survey is designed to collect detailed disaggregated information on the export of software services, broken down by activity, type of service (on-site/off-site) and country of destination, along with the four modes of supply. For determining the proportion of each mode of supply within the services transactions, survey respondents are asked to report the estimated value of services provided through modes 1, 2 and 4. That information is sought on both a fiscal year basis and a quarterly basis. The same treatment is applied to the results for modes of supply as to other results of this very detailed survey (i.e., for non-response, etc.) The survey also collects information on the software business of foreign subsidiaries and  foreign affiliates, distinguishing between sales to India and other countries for software business carried out in a host country. The collected statistics are cross-checked and validated, with the information collected independently through two other sources: the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and SOFTEX forms, through which the non-physical (off-site) software exports figures are collected. 

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