C1 India plans to set up campus in Hyd

C1 India Private Limited, a provider of e-procurement and e-tendering solutions, is planning to set up a campus in 5-10 acres of land in Hyderabad.

The company intends to invest around Rs 25 crore in Hyderabad in the next three-five years, and increase its headcount in the city to 500 from the present 50 in the next three years.

One of the reasons for the Delhi-based company's increased focus on Hyderabad is that it has been implementing a state-wide e-procurement platform for the Andhra Pradesh government.

"Since January 2003, we have processed Rs 32,853 crore worth of tenders in Andhra Pradesh, with evaluation for around Rs 7,000 crore worth of tenders still going on," Vivek Agarwal, president and chief operating officer of C1 India, told Business Standard.

In this financial year till January 30, 2006, C1 India has processed tenders worth more than Rs 20,000 crore, which is more than half of the total value of tenders that the company processed in Andhra Pradesh in the last few years.

"We, therefore, plan to set up a campus in Hyderabad, where we will be investing around Rs 25 crore in the next three-five years," Agarwal said.

C1 India has a development centre in Hyderabad apart from the one in Delhi. "With our plans of establishing a footprint in the international market, we plan to enhance our operations in Hyderabad as well. Our Hyderabad operations will be primarily involved in catering to the international operations," he added.

To finance its expansion plans, C1 India plans to raise funds worth $10 million via equity placement.

The company is also implementing a pilot e-procurement project in Karnataka with KEONICS (Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited), an agency that is involved in the promotion and development of electronic industries in the state. On a national basis, the company has bagged a project from the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The e-way

Since January 2003, C1 has processed Rs 32,853 crore worth of tenders in Andhra Pradesh, with evaluation for around Rs 7,000 crore worth of tenders still going on

In the current fiscal till January 30, 2006, C1 India has processed tenders worth more than Rs 20,000 crore