BT Global targets $250 mn revenue in two years

Sets up IT training centre for underprivileged children in Pune

British Telecom's enterprises connectivity services arm BT Global Services has drawn out an ambitious plan to expand its business in India.

BT Global's CEO officer Andy Green said the company has targeted revenues of $250 million from India operations within the next two years.

"India is our office of the world," Green said, adding that the company "� present in India through strategic partnerships "� is looking at increasing the number of such partnerships significantly. However, he refused to divulge details.

Green said the company will need a human resource base of about 5,000 software professionals."Of which, 2000 will be hired in Pune itself over the next 18 months," he informed.

The company currently serves IT clients like Infosys, TCS and Wipro from the Pune centre.

"BT has recently bagged contract worth $3 billion from Reuters, which is the second-largest outsourcing deal in the country. We are deploying a specific team at out Pune centre to cater to our multinational clients "� Reuters and Prudential," Green said.

Green was in Pune recently for the launch of the company's IT training centre, which was set up in association with the Saint Crispin's School.

The centre aims at providing basic IT education and vocational training to the city's underprivileged children. The centre is looking forward to providing IT training to 1,400 children in three years. The centre comprises a laboratory, computer room, audio-visual teaching aids and classroom for teaching theory.

"BT is actively involved in community investments around the world. Last year we provided financial support worth euro 20.8 million "� around 1.1 per cent of BT's profit before tax "� to community and charity activities worldwide," Green said.

"In the current financial year we are introducing a new scheme for our employees called, 'Global Charity Matching/Payroll giving Scheme'. This will enable our employees worldwide to donate to a charity of their choice with additional funding from BT," Andy said.

In India, BT is working on a new community project aimed at supporting developing countries to become part of digital society. The program will bring difference sources of information to ordinary people in remote rural areas of India, allowing them to get answers on phone to questions that are key to improving their lives including information about agriculture and veterinary advice.

"We are working on this project with Cisco and a charity institution called OneWorld to implement the this program by May 2006. BT will support the project with funding as well as commercial and technical expertise" he explained.