Will Wipro quit Bangalore?

Plagued by an increase in attrition and lack of good infrastructure that has resulted in increased commuting time for its employees, Wipro is now looking at growth beyond Bangalore.

Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has threatened to move base out of the city and said Wipro would invest in cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi and Pune.

Premji, one of India's richest men, said: "Qualified engineers and graduates are coming up in other cities and states. We will take our business wherever there is opportunity for our employees. The reality is that there is opportunity outside Karnataka and outside Bangalore. We have to be present where talent is available and infrastructure is superior."

Wipro hired 3015 people during the first quarter, taking its total headcount to 31,517 by the end of June 30, 2004, including 20,768 engineers in the IT services business and 10,749 people in IT-enabled services.

Currently, Wipro has 11,000 employees in Bangalore alone.

Premji said that Wipro's Kolkata centre will be opened in August.

Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images

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