Wipro to hire more in UK

The Bangalore-based IT major Wipro plans to add 500 new employees in the United Kingdom in the next 12 months to support its operations.

Addressing a high-level UK delegation on Wednesday, led by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and Secretary of State Alistair Darling, Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro, said the IT company has initiated a process to localise its work in each country it is operating.

"Currently, we have a team of 1,900 people in the UK. By adding 500 more, we will locate our development centre in that country shortly," he added. The Wipro chairman also praised the support shown by the UK government.

In his speech Gordon Brown said the UK has accorded a special status to India and has signed a number of agreements in the field of science and technology. Now, more alliances should be forged in the financial sector, noted the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Welcoming the job-creation in the UK by Indian companies, he said the UK government will help them find market in Europe.

The UK market is part of European operations for Wipro. For the financial year 2005-06, European operations reported 48 per cent growth rate and contributed more than 32 per cent to the company's IT services revenues.

Sudip Banerjee, president (enterprise solutions division), Wipro, said, "The UK has been a key unit from the beginning. The expansion of the UK facility is part of a strategic initiative to build a strong local presence."

"In the initial phase, we focused on building a value-added service model in the UK. In the next phase, we plan to expand into new markets and enhance the existing business relationships. The development centre will complement Wipro's services by meeting the local needs," said Girish Paranjpe, president (finance solutions), Wipro.