India's globally acclaimed software industry is high on the terrorists' target list and sensitive installations like atomic plants and refineries located on the coastline are vulnerable to terror attacks, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said on Wednesday.

"We are world leaders in software. But software industry is high on the threat list," Pillai said addressing a conference on 'Challenge of Terrorism to India's Infrastructure and Economy' in

The Home Secretary said all software companies in India were now realising this fact and they were taking their own measures to protect themselves.

"And the government is also in partnership with many of the companies making effort to provide adequate security (to foil any attempt by the terrorists to target them)," he said.

Indian software exports have risen from Rs 28,350 crore in 2000-01 to an estimated Rs 216,300 crore in 2008-09.

The industry is expected to grow 16 per cent this fiscal and log revenues of USD 60 billion despite the global slowdown. Pillai said India's western coastline hosting several petroleum and nuclear installations are vulnerable to terror strikes from the sea route.

"Petroleum and nuclear installations located on the western coast are highly vulnerable," he said.