TCS to expand operations in Arizona; to invest $300 million by 2026

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday announced plans to expand its operations in Arizona in the US and invest more than USD 300 million (about Rs 2,236 crore) by 2026.

The Mumbai-based company will also hire more than 220 employees by 2023, it said in a regulatory filing.

"TCS will also continue to expand the reach of its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Computer Science education programmes in Arizona by increasing teacher training and online content for students over the next two years," it added.

TCS' Phoenix Business Centre -- one of 30 TCS facilities in the US -- serves more than 50 customers across Arizona.

Currently, it has more than 780 employees in the state, helping clients in banking, manufacturing, healthcare, and utilities, manage their IT operations and harness technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and enterprise software to achieve their growth and transformation objectives.

The new positions will be based at the Phoenix centre as well as in client offices around the state.

According to the filing, TCS has been among the top two US recruiters of IT services talent, hiring more than 21,500 employees in the past five years.

With industries looking to recover from the effects of COVID, TCS expects to hire an additional 10,000 local employees in the US by 2022, it added.

Surya Kant, Chairman of North America at TCS, said the company is delighted to expand its presence in Arizona, tap local talent to help clients in their transformation journeys, and contribute to the growth of the technology industry here.

"We also look forward to expanding our community engagement through our STEM initiatives, to help nurture the next generation of local technology leaders in our schools," Kant said.

To lay the groundwork for a pipeline of skilled talent in Arizona, TCS has implemented its Ignite My Future in School (IMFIS) and goIT programmes, partnering with Arizona State University's Innovation Lab to bring goIT's Design Thinking model of identifying alternative strategies and solutions to solve problems to the curriculum.

"TCS has a global reputation for excellence. Their selection of Arizona for this significant expansion demonstrates the strength of the Phoenix market and vitality of our local businesses. We are also grateful for TCS' continued support of local STEM education, which has been a priority in Arizona," the state's Governor Doug Ducey said.

The investment highlights Arizona's thriving innovation ecosystem as well as our robust pipeline for technology talent, President and Chief Executive of Arizona Commerce Authority Sandra Watson said.

Since 2019, more than 1,200 educators have accessed IMFIS online content, reaching over 70,000 students in Arizona.

Further, 15 school districts across the state have attended IMFIS TECHademies, which are TCS-sponsored professional development events for educators.