Sogeti to double India headcount to 1,000

Sogeti, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Paris-based IT firm Capgemini, plans to double its India headcount by 2008. After starting its India operations in March this year with 200 employees, it currently has 500 hands.

With this expansion, it plans to cater to the Indian market by 2009.

Luc-François Salvador, chairman and chief executive officer of Sogeti, said: "India has a huge talent base. Having an India presence will accelerate our growth further and faster. The number of

engineers that India churns out every year is more than double of what France can do."

Of the 3,500-4,000 worldwide customers, around 50 are being served from India. "Today Sogeti India caters only the global clients.

But by 2009-2010 we do want to cater the Indian market as well. But before we look at the Indian market we want to have a employee base of 3,000-4,000," said Navin Goel, CEO Sogeti, US.

The company expects a growth rate of 20-30 per cent once it starts catering to the domestic market. Sogeti will look at all possible ways to grow the domestic market.

"We want to build French and German language capabilities. Rather we have been talking to Nasscom to take this issue to the government and create an environment so that people can take up foreign languages," he added.