HCL Tech to set up centre in Pune

IT services giant HCL Technologies on Wednesday said it is planning to set up a delivery centre in Pune as part of its plans to venture into small towns and cities.

"We are exploring Pune as a location for setting up a facility. It is a matter of time before it comes up," Saurav Adhikari, vice president corporate strategy, HCL Technologies, said on the sidelines of company's customer meet.

He said the company would enter Pune by setting up a business process outsourcing facility and gradually other services would follow.

The company recently entered Hyderabad where it opened a software development facility.

HCL Technologies is planning to invest close to $22 million in its expansion plans in the January-March quarter, he said. In the last quarter, the company had invested close to $17 million.

In Noida, where HCL technologies is headquartered, it is planning a campus spread over 46 acres. In Bangalore, it is building a campus spread over an area of 26 acres, while it has acquired 50 acres for its Chennai campus.

The first phase of the Noida campus will be operational by the end of 2006. While the Bangalore facility could take 24 months for completion.

HCL Technologies' long-term strategy is to set up a campus in every city that it ventures into, Adhkari said. Overall, the company plans to invest Rs 450 crore (Rs 4.50 billion) in the next two financial years to build three campuses.

. . . on verge of bagging mega insurance deal

India's fifth largest software exporter HCL Technologies is close to finalising a multi-million dollar and multi-year services deal with a western insurance major.

 Refusing to divulge further details on the size, name and timing of the deal, HCLT's corporate vice president Saurav Adhikari said: "It is a big deal covering all parts of HCLT's offerings -- technology, applications, remote infrastructure and BPO. . .  we should be able to announce it in not too distant future. "The preparations for the deal like recruitment, training and operationalisation has already begun and the impact of the deal (in terms of revenue) would be felt in the next two quarters."

In fact, in principle the deal has been signed but a few ratifications are in the process of taking place, he said.