Zensar to start work on its development centre soon

Pune-based Zensar Technologies Limited, a global software solutions provider promoted by the Kolkata-based RPG Enterprises, plans to start construction work on its proposed software development centre in the city soon.

“Zensar has communicated that it is keen to start construction work on its development centre soon. The Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) has already given its in-principle approval to allot three acres of land to the software firm in the Infocity region of the city”, a top IT official told Business Standard.

Zensar Technologies plans to invest Rs 30-40 crore on its proposed software development centre. Initially, the centre would be run by a pool of 1,500 professionals but Zensar plans to make its Bhubaneswar centre the second biggest in the country after Pune where its centre is spread over 10 acres.

Zensar Technologies has a marketing presence in US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The company has operations and customer base spanning 18 countries.

Zensar has expertise in key verticals of manufacturing, retail, logistics, financial services and telecom. The company offers end-to-end solutions across diverse technology platforms and industry domains through a global delivery model.

With a clientele base of over 200, Zensar has more than 4,000 employees in India and abroad. The company is rated among the top 25 software firms of the country by National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

Meanwhile, other major IT investors have also renewed their commitment on their proposed projects in the city.

MindTree expects to kick off construction work on its Rs 200-crore development centre in the city by June this year. The company had entered into an MoU with the Orissa government in March 2006 for its centre which would come up over 30 acres of land.

As per the company's plan, construction on the development centre was scheduled to begin in September 2008 and the centre was set to be operational within 22 months of the commencement of the construction work. However, work on the project got delayed due to the economic slowdown which slackened the demand for IT projects.

MindTree would initially recruit about 1,000 software professionals and eventually ramp up its headcount to 6000. Its development centre in Bhubaneswar will focus on R&D, consultancy and software development.

ICICI Bank, which had sought an extension of two years for its Rs 600-crore eastern regional hub, has been asked by the state IT department to start construction work by April.

ICICI bank's eastern regional hub would have a built-up area of 1.5 million sq ft and it will have a pool of 15,000 employees in the long-run. The project is to be developed in phases over a period of six to seven years. Similarly, Genpact, which had announced a Global Delivery Centre in the city, has submitted a fresh building plan to the Bhubanewar Development Authority (BDA).

Genpact's centre in the city will have a total built-up area of 7 lakh sq ft. Initially, Genpact would hire 500 people for running its operations and eventually, the headcount will be scaled up to 3,000.