KPMG bullish on Pune

Bringing thought leadership to Pune as it becomes a prominent information technology/ information technology-enabled services (IT/ ITeS) destination, KPMG India, which recently set up its operations in the city, addressed a select audience on the need to move up the value chain by becoming 'trusted sourcing' partners as against just outsourcing partners.

Terming 'trusted sourcing' as the new buzzword, Sanjay Agarwal, partner, KPMG, explained the concept, "Preparing the IT/ ITeS players to meet the changing customer expectations on different aspects such as security, confidentiality, business continuity, regulations in advance. This would subsequently minimise their cost of upgradation as organisation-wide transformation is taken up in a methodical and integrated manner."

Known for its strategy of working with its small and medium enterprises (SMEs) clients as they grow to become global players. "KPMG is bullish about the potential the city presents as there are over 250 key companies in the IT/ ITeS sector here," Agarwal told Business Standard.

The city's importance can be gauged from the fact that it was the first to host the seminar. "Next on the list is Hyderabad," he pointed out.

KMPG already has 60 clients in the city spread across its five key domain practices of financial services, information, communication and entertainment (ICE), infrastructure, industrial markets and consumer markets. "Education, special economic zones and IT/ ITeS are showing great promise in the city," said Agarwal.

Pradeep Udhas, executive director, KPMG India, said, "The city presents a potential to be a Tier I city at par with metros such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon as against its current positioning of a Tier II city competing with Kolkata, Indore and others."

Classifying Tier II companies on the basis of employee base of 1,000 to 3,000 people, Agarwal detailed its prospects in the city, "Of the 250 key IT/ITeS companies here, 75 are good players, and of these, 20-25 companies will become global players. Our target is to work with at least 50-70 per cent of these companies. As in the next two years, these companies will employ 5,000-10,000 people and need to be globally competent."