IT training provider NIIT plans to set up about 85 new training centres in China in the next three years, taking the total to 250 in the country, a top company official said.

"We have 165 locations in China where we provide training," company's CEO Vijay K Thadani told PTI.

"We want to take it up to 250 or so in the next three years".

Out of 165 centres, NIIT has 129 "NIIT Inside" units, which are located in the universities and colleges in China. Under the "NIIT Inside" model, the company embeds its training programmes in the curriculum of universities and colleges.

"The Chinese have realised the advantages of the Indian software education model and the success of our domestic firms in the global outsourcing market is attracting them towards NIIT," Thadani said.

He said NIIT is witnessing faster growth in provinces where the manufacturing is not strong because of infrastructure constraints and the locals are taking up IT training as services-led

growth gathers momentum in China.

Another factor driving NIIT's growth in China is the growing aspiration of the Chinese youth to play a larger role on the global stage.

Thadani said NIIT is ramping up its corporate training in the US, where it has more than 500 professionals and serves 1500-plus customers, and in Europe.

He said the company is looking beyond IT training and strengthening its training initiatives in finance, banking and insurance segments.

"We are moving into other areas of soft skills training," Thadani said, adding that the company has 3,500 courses in e-learning format.