Chennai to be big centre for Wipro
Wipro Technologies is expanding its presence in Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai, owing to infrastructure investment in the IT corridor, good talent availability and a receptive state government.
Chennai has overtaken Hydrabad in manpower recuirement for Wipro Technologies, with Chennai having a headcount of 8500 compared to Hydrabad’s 8000. With the management freezing plans for further expansion in Bangalore due to high costs, infrastructure problems, and state bureauctacy, Chennai is definitely tipped to emerge as an important base for the company in the next for years.
Wipro Technologies is expanding its develoment facility in an additional 82 acres of SEZ land at Sholinganallur, near Chennai, located behind its present facility, housed on 22 acres of land. Expected to have a seating capacity, about 4000 seats would be occupied in phase I. Construction has started and occupation is expected to beging by September.
D.Chandrasekar, Vice President and location head, Chennai said that phase II would be developed in another two years, another 8000 people would be added with the rest absorbed in pahse III. The facility is expected to attract and initial investment of about Rs.100 crore.
Chandrasekar said that they would be also starting construction work on their new development facility coming up on 95 acres of land in the SEZ area at Mahindra city, by September. He also said it would house 1000 people by March next year. It is expected to involve and investment of Rs.40 crore initially.
Construction of another development centre on seven acres of land at Coimbatore is palnned to start by October. A 2800 seater with an investment of Rs.70 crore, it is expected to start operations by April next year.
Wipro is focusing on hiring engineering graduates and B.Sc graduates from state colleges for its expanding centres, with the latter being enrolled for the four year MS course at BITS Pilani under the Wipro Academy of Software Excellence programme. This year Wipro Technologies hired 1500 Arts and Science compared to 700 last year.
This year 2000 engineering graduates from 40 engineering colleges are expected to join Wipro’s Chennai centres compared to 1000 last year.
