General Instructions

For the Reserve Bank’s survey on Computer Software & Information Technology Enabled Services Exports (ITES) conducted annually, the information is collected from software and ITES/BPO/LLPs exporting companies on their computer software and IT enabled services export as at end-March of the latest Financial Year.

The survey results are released in the public domain besides being used for compilation of balance of payments (BoP) statistics and other uses.

Confidentiality Clause: The company-wise information provided will be kept confidential and only consolidated aggregates will be released by the Reserve Bank.

Note: The respondent companies/LLPs/proprietorship firm should fill-up the survey schedule in excel format (*.xls format) available on RBI website and in Press release also. Request you to read the Instruction sheet (available in survey schedule) thoroughly before filling the survey schedule.

Important Points: The respondent companies/LLPs/proprietorship firm should read the below-mentioned points:

(i) The company must use the latest survey schedule which is in .xls format without any macros.

(ii) The company is required to save the survey schedule in Excel 97-2003 workbook i.e. in .xls format only.

(iii) In order to save the survey schedule in .xls format, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Go to Office Button / File → Save As → Save As type

2. Select “Excel 97-2003 Workbook” and Save the survey schedule in .xls format.

(iv) The company must use the .xls format of the survey schedule provided by RBI and requested not to incorporate any macro in the survey schedule while submitting the same.

(v) Please note that survey schedule submitted in any other format (other than .xls format) will be auto rejected by the system.

(vi) All information furnished in the survey schedule are complete and no information is missed out.

(vii) After filling Part-A to D, the company has to fill the Declaration sheet. The Declaration sheet helps in confirming and validating that the information entered by the company are double checked before submitting the same to RBI. This would help to avoid errors like data entry errors, missed data etc.

(viii) Request you to please don’t use any special characters i.e. [!@#$%^&*_()] and comma while data filing in Question 3 to 9.

1. In which month of the year, the ITES survey is launched by the RBI?

Ans.: The RBI launches the ITES survey during June for the current reference period ending March.

2. What is the frequency of this ITES survey?

Ans.: Annual

3. What is the timeline for the submission in ITES Survey?

Ans.: The respondent companies/LLPs/proprietorship firm can submit their responses within a month of the launch of the survey.

4. What is the reference period of this ITES survey?

Ans.: Financial year (FY) starting from April YYYY to March YYYY.

5. In case where account closing period of the company is different from reference period (end-March), can we report the information as per account closing period?

Ans.: In case the account closing is different from March, the company cannot report the information as per the account closing period. In such cases, based on company internal assessment, the Information should be reported for the reference period only, i.e. previous March and latest March.

6. Which entities can participate in the ITES survey?

Ans.: Companies/LLPs/Partnership firms in the business of export of computer software & information technology enabled services can participate in this survey.

7. Whether ITES survey schedule is required to be submitted by LLPs/ proprietorship firm, who have computer software export during the reference period? If yes, then what is the procedure to submit the survey schedule?

Ans.: Since the access to the submission portal is CIN based, any LLP/proprietorship firm that have computer software exports as on end-March of the financial year, it needs to obtain dummy CIN by sending a request mail on itesquery@rbi.org.in. Once the firm obtains this dummy CIN number from RBI, it can be used to submit the excel (*.xls) file for ITES survey.

However, if any entity has already got the dummy CIN number from the previous survey round, they should use the same CIN number in the current survey round also.

(It is also informed that these dummy CIN numbers are provided by RBI for filling the ITES survey schedule only and not for any other purpose).

8. What information on business activity classification has been covered under this survey?

Ans.: Four major business activities of computer software & information technology enabled services with their sub classifications are covered under the survey schedule. Details can be formed in the survey form itself.

9. If the company/LLPs/proprietorship firm does not have export earnings during the reference period, do they need to participate in the survey?

Ans.: Yes, in case the company/LLPs/proprietorship firm doesn’t have export earnings during the reference period, but earlier had, then it has to submit NIL survey schedule of ITES survey.

10. What is the invoicing currency to be reported for exports.

Ans.: Total Invoice value must be in Indian Rupees (INR) in actuals (which should also include billing to subsidiary(s)/associate(s)) during the reference period.

11. What is the reporting currency in invoice value in Export-major currencies?

Ans.: Total Invoice value must be in Indian Rupees (INR) in actuals (which should also include billing to subsidiary(s)/associate(s) abroad) during the reference period.

12. What is the reporting of currency in invoice value in Export-Type of services?

Ans.: Total Invoice value must be in Indian Rupees (INR) in actuals (which should also include billing to subsidiary(s)/associate(s) abroad) as per type of export service.

13. What is the reporting of currency in invoice value in Export-Major Areas?

Ans.: Total Invoice value in Indian Rupees (INR) in actuals (including billing to subsidiary(s)/associate(s) abroad) during the reference period to major countries/regional groups.

14. If two or three units of a company are located in India and an unit is also located outside India say in UK, then should they participate separately in the ITES survey?

Ans.: Company has to submit only one form aggregating all the units in India. However, on the unit abroad, it has to provide information in Part D of the schedule and other for all units abroad.

15. Does the number of employee information is as on end of March of the reference year?

Ans.: Yes, number of employee information is as on end of March of the reference year.

16. It the company offer services to develop a product for another company in abroad then where should we have to mention this information in ITES survey schedule?

Ans.: You have to mention percentage of this service under ‘Offshore product development’ in Q-3 (D) of Part-A and consolidated amount under Q-5 (a-iv) for software products.

17. Which type of expenses should be covered under “total amount spent on office expenses etc. abroad (excluding amount paid to employees abroad) by the Indian company” in Q-7 (iii) of Part-B?

Ans.: Office expenses include all the expenses incurred in running of the office in abroad during the year like internet payment, stationary, etc. If the office has been setup outside India in the reference period (say 2020-21) then that will also be included (in this point).

18. Which amount is to be considered in “Total amount held abroad at the beginning of the reference period by the Indian company” in Q-7 (iv) of Part-B?

Ans.: Total amount held abroad at the beginning of reference period would mean the outstanding amount that is to be received from abroad (for the exports made) at the beginning of reference period i.e. April 2020-March 2021 (refers to 'as on April 1, 2020'). It is the opening balance of the accounts receivables (for exports).

19. Which amount is to be considered in the Q-7(v) of Part-B in the ITES survey schedule?

Ans.: The ‘the amount held abroad’ is the outstanding amount which is yet to be received by the company from the importers i.e. unpaid amount for the exports made by the company. Q-7(v) is the change in amount held abroad which is equal to closing balance minus opening balance. Opening balance at April 2020 and closing balance at March 2021.

20. The Invoice value includes all the amounts billed to customer, but all the invoice bills are not received in the reference period. Does this mean the actual (realised) amount received within the period April 2020 to March 2021.

Ans.: Yes, It is the amount actually received (realised) during the reference period including the billing to subsidiaries/associates abroad.

21. We are providing service to subsidiary/associates abroad, but subsidiary is not providing any services to India. Where do we have to report in ITES survey schedule?

Ans.: Since your company has a subsidiary, so you have to fill the Part-D of the form that pertains to the information on subsidiaries abroad. If, during the year, subsidiary of your company has not made any sale of Computer Software and ITES then accordingly the amounts would be 0 (zero).

22. What should we have to mention in the “Please Specify” in Q-3 of Part-A?

Ans.: Write down the list of the business activities who have mention the percentage under Other category of all four major activities. No need to write down percentage of those listed other business activities in “Please Specify”.

23. Is it required to fill the declaration at the end of the ITES survey schedule?

Ans.: Yes, it is mandatory where the person authorised to fill the form owns the responsibility of information furnished and declares its accuracy including CIN number. It is final check for all the details which are filled-up in the Part- A to D of ITES survey schedule.

24. How would an acknowledgement be provided to us on submission of the ITES form?

Ans.: The entity receives the system-generated acknowledgement of ITES data submitted at the time of final processing itself. No separate mail will be sent in this regard.

25. Provide the list of the Fatal and Non-Fatal Errors with their descriptions.

Ans.: Please refer to the below table containing the error codes (Fatal error, non-Fatal error) with their descriptions. If you get an acknowledgment of the processed data with any Fatal error codes, then follow the below-mentioned fatal error message/description and revised your data and resubmit it on surveysoftex@rbi.org.in, if you get an acknowledgment of the processed data with any Non-fatal error codes then give justification/clarification on the errors, then send it on itesquery@rbi.org.in.