IGATE opens training campus in Pune

Outsourcing major IGATE today inaugurated an in-house training facility here, built at an investment of USD 70 million.
"The country faces a shortfall of skills and there is a gap between what is learnt and what is required by the industry," the New Jersey-headquartered company's recently appointed Chief Executive and President Ashok Vemuri told reporters after inaugurating the IGATE Corporate University.
The 37-acre campus is located in Hinjewadi area of Pune, where several major IT firms, including Wipro and Cognizant, have their offices.
The centre will impart technological and behavioural skills to the company's workforce of 34,000.
Vemuri said all the new recruits will undergo training at the University.

Over 260 courses will be taught, he said, adding, the focus will also be to engage in R&D. IGATE has tied up with BITS Pilani, XLRI and city-based Symbiosis for the courses, which range from one day to 90 days.

The company, formerly known as PCS, employs 25,000 people in the country, Vemuri said, adding it is sticking to the target of 6,000 gross hiring this fiscal. During April-June the company added a net 2,000 people to the workforce.
Vemuri also announced that the company has embarked on an 18-month, three-phase programme of creating additional development space which can accommodate 5,000 people when completed. It inaugurated the first phase of the programme, a 14-storey building, today.

The company will relocate some staff from the existing office at Magarpatta to the newly built facility, while the rest staff will be the new hires.
He also said IGATE is contemplating a centre dedicated for research and innovation in the US which is its largest market, in addition to existing centres in Mumbai and Bangalore where the company employs around 80 people to "play with technologies" and be relevant to the needs of clients.
Progress on big-ticket deals is on expected lines, he said, adding that in the second quarter the company had bagged two large-value deals.