The Indian information technology exports to the Middle East have grown at a phenomenal rate of 71 per cent in 2002-2003 over the previous year though competition from countries like Ireland, the Philippines and China was picking up, a top IT official said in Dubai.

"The Middle East markets offer massive potential to be tapped," said D K Sareen, executive director of Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council, kicking off the roadshow here for Indiasoft 2004, the largest IT global networking event to be held in New Delhi next week.

From the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and CIS countries, where growth of the IT industry will be significant in the coming years, around 90 CEOs of leading IT companies have been invited to participate in the event, he said.

These selected participants, who will be interacting with over 700 Indian IT entrepreneurs at Indiasoft 2004, "will act as Indian brand ambassadors in their own respective countries, when they carry out massive digitalisation programmes," Sareen said.

The three-day Indiasoft 2004, to be organised from February 10 by the ESC for the fourth consecutive year, is fast becoming an important global IT show with a large number of visitors from India and abroad. Over 70 exhibitors and around 200 delegates from 40 countries are expected to participate in the exhibition and conferences, Kamal Vachani, regional director of ESC, Dubai, said.

The ESC roadshow was organised to explain special features of the Indiasoft 2004 to IT industry here and how it is being tailored to give the maximum exposure to the exhibitors and conference participants, Sareen said.

"Indiasoft is meant to create awareness about the capabilities and core competence of the Indian software and services industry and to facilitate joint ventures, business tie-ups, collaboration and strategic alliances for outsourcing with overseas buyers," he said.

The event will provide the participants an opportunity to broaden their vision and tap the emerging global markets, he said, adding Indiasoft 2003 generated business worth over $45 million and a lot of trade enquires.

About the "hosted buyers" programme, Sareen said that ESC has drawn up a list of countries, which could be the emerging markets for India's export of software, hardware and IT enabled services, on the basis of level of computerisation programmes, policy thrust for computer literacy and e-governance, and availability of computer savvy people -- both in the government and the private sector.

Based on the analysis, the ESC has invited chosen delegates from these regions to attend the exhibition, Sareen said, adding this exposure about the IT capabilities of Indian IT industry would help in widening its IT export base.

Many business delegations from the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan and Turkey have already confirmed participation, he added.