Infosys Technologies Ltd, the country's second largest software exporter, has reported a 33.3 per cent jump in its third quarter net profit at Rs1,641 crore against Rs1,231 crore in the same quarter of the previous year.

Nasdaq-listed Infosys posted a 35.5 per cent increase in its October-December 2008-09 revenue, at Rs5,786 crore, against Rs4,271 crore in Q3 2007-08.

Bangalore-based Infosys and its subsidiaries also added 30 new clients during the quarter despite the global economic slowdown.

"In a challenging environment, our focus is on creating value for clients, running an optimised business, and evolving our business model that will allow us to emerge stronger when the global economy starts recovering," CEO and managing director S Gopalakrishnan said while announcing the results.

Infosys, however, expects the growth rate to fall in the last quarter of the current fiscal (January-March 2008-09) and the whole of fiscal year 2008-09.

The company said it expects fourth-quarter revenue to be lower in the range of Rs5,494-5,699 crore - a year-on-year growth rate of 21-25.5 per cent. For the financial year ending 31 March 2009, it expects revenue to be in the range of Rs21,552-21,757 crore, a year-on-year growth of 29.1- 30.3 per cent.

A fall in the value of the rupee against the dollar to the tune of 1.8 per cent (at constant prices) has affected the company's revenue and profit, according to chief operating officer S D Shibulal.

"We are comfortable with the current pricing environment and believe that the pricing could get impacted if the situation worsens further," he said.

However, the company said the effects of the rupee fall on the operating margins of the company has been offset to some extent by depreciation of other major currencies against the dollar, according to chief financial officer V Balakrishnan.

"Our robust and flexible operating and financial models position us well in the current uncertain economic environment," he said.

As of 31 December 2008, the company had cash and cash equivalent, including investments in liquid mutual funds and certificates of deposits, of Rs9,686 crore (Rs7,933 crore in the same period of the previous financial year).