Infosys' training centre among world's largest

Infosys Technologies on Tuesday expanded the company’s Global Education Centre (GEC) at its Mysore campus, with the inauguration of a second training facility. With the GEC expansion, the company can provide training to 23,500 people at a time, making it one of the largest corporate education centres in the world.

Infosys has invested Rs 2,055 crore in building the campus, since the company was given its first 220 acres by the then Congress government in 1999. The GEC-II, which can provide training to 9,500 employees, has seen an investment of Rs 355 crore.

N R Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief mentor, said: “The Education Centre is a testimony of Infosys’ commitment to building the competency of our employees.” Earlier, Congress party President Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the new building for the centre. CM B S Yeddyurappa was also present.

He said more than 16,000 entrants were trained in 2008-09, and in the current year the company expects to train 16,000 more here. “In addition, special programmes have been conducted at the GEC for students from Australia, Bhutan, China, Columbia, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Panama, Thailand, the UK and the US,” he added.

Meanwhile, Infosys is opening a new delivery centre in Brazil as a part of its policy to focus on emerging economies, including South and Latin America. The centre will initially have 50 people, mostly locally hired and will be operational “any time from now”, S Gopalakrishnan, CEO of the Bangalore-headquartered company, told Business Standard.

“We are waiting for final approval from the Brazilian government. The centre will primarily help us to support the Brazilian and South American customers,” Gopalakrishnan said.