Capgemini to hire 17,000 more in India

Capgemini, the Paris-headquartered information technology services and consultancy firm, plans to hire 17,000 people in India in 2010, said the company while announcing its second quarter results. Its headcount in India at present is 26,000.

“The first half of 2010 was a good period for Capgemini India, both for our domestic market operations and our global delivery work. The recovery, which started in the latter part of 2009, is now visible strongly. We added more than 40 clients in India over the last 18 months and are seeing significant momentum across industry verticals and the public sector,” said Salil Parekh, executive chairman, Capgemini India.

From a global delivery standpoint, he said, the leverage of India within the Group had seen significant growth. India, for Capgemini, has evolved into an innovation hub.

The company has set up Global Centres of Excellence in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune, catering to global and domestic clients.

“Today, India is central to Capgemini’s Rightshore delivery model, with 26,000 people and 27 per cent of global employee headcount. We will recruit 17,000 people in India in 2010 and will announce expansions of our facilities to accommodate this growth,” added Parekh.

The company’s second quarter and first-half results saw stabilisation of the main markets in which the Group operates. The 2010 first-half revenues fell 3.8 per cent compared to the first half of 2009 but increased 5.4 per cent on the previous half-year. In the second quarter, revenues at €2,159 million increased 5.2 per cent compared to the previous quarter.

Capgemini saw sequential revenue from France grow 1.1 per cent, UK & Ireland grew 3.8 per cent, Benelux grew 2.9 per cent and the Rest of Europe, Asia and Latin America grew 3.2 per cent. Revenue from North America was the strongest, at 16.7 per cent. However, the first half of 2010 did witness pressure in Europe. Revenue from its main region, Francem was down 2.7 per cent compared to H1 of 2009. Similarly, UK & Ireland was down five per cent.

Paul Hermelin, CEO of the Capgemini group, said: “Strengthened by this above-expectations performance and the marked increase in bookings, the Group will enjoy a return to growth in the second half of the year. We have now relaunched a dynamic recruitment policy and will focus particularly on our five global service lines, in order to satisfy the new expectations of our clients.”

The company expects revenue growth in India of three to five per cent for the second half of 2010.