Tata Elxsi to hire 400 professionals in 2010

Tata Group company Tata Elxsi that is into product designing and animation today said it will increase its headcount by about 400 this year as the company looks to increase its services and businesses, specially in the US.

"We will be increasing our workforce by another 10 per cent this year. We would be inducting about 400 professional during the year," Tata Elxsi Vice-President and Marketing Head Nitin Pai told PTI at the 10th Auto Expo here.

It, currently employs around 4,000 professionals in six centres across the country.

The Bangalore-based company, which is into product designing, automotive styling and multimedia, said it is looking at expanding its services in the overseas market, particularly in the US.

"A major chunk of our revenue comes from the overseas market. Animation has a huge scope in the US. So, we are particularly looking at increasing our business there," Pai said.

The firm, which worked for the making of James Cameron's epic motion picture 'Avatar', opened a studio at Los Angeles in the US in December to grow capture Hollywood business.

Currently, the company is doing animation for other Hollywood movies in association with US-based studios but with setting up of its own studio in the US, the company is expecting standalone business soon, he said.

Pai said the company is in talks with various production houses in the Hollywood as lead animation partner.

"Hollywood movies is what we are aiming at present," Pai said. He, however, declined to provide details of the firms it is currently in talks with.

About the domestic expansion, he said the company has recently ventured into retail designing.

"Designing of retail stores is something which we have got into recently. Besides, with companies getting more cost effective, there is an increasing trend of developing digital ads. So there is a huge scope and business opportunity," Pai said.

The company recorded an annual sales of Rs 420 crore in 2008-09. It expects to more than triple its business in the next three years.