IT, BPO companies on expansion spree

Major information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Hyderabad are on an expansion spree. These include TCS, Satyam, Sierra Atlantic, e2e Service Solutions of Tata Sons, Kanbay India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kanbay International of the US, Intelligroup and ATI Technologies.

TCS, which has a built-up area of 3.25 lakh square feet in its deccanpark, has taken an additional space on lease in Madhapur to house 1,000 more staff by December. It is also building a facility on CMC campus at Gachibowli that can accommodate 5,200 people. This will be ready in the next two-and-a-half years.

Similarly, Satyam Computer Services' campus is coming up over an area of 20 acres in the Knowledge Corridor and the first phase, having a seating capacity of 2,200, is expected to be operational by December 2005. The company is also spreading its footprint to Visakhapatnam.

Sierra Atlantic Global Development Campus is being constructed on a 7-acre land near Gachibowli and is expected to have a total built-up area of 2.5 lakh square feet. The campus will house 2,400 associates.

The first phase of the campus is expected to be ready for occupation in the second quarter of 2006. Kanbay India campus, coming up in an extent of over 15 acres, is also expected to be operational by January 2006.

On the other hand, e2e Service Solutions proposes to invest Rs 250 crore on expanding its operations and doubling its staff from the existing 4,000 to 8,000 by 2007.

Intelligroup, a global provider of strategic outsourcing services, is also planning to add 500 more people to its 1,500-strong workforce at the Hyderabad centre and has earmarked an amount of $ 2 million for expanding its operations in the country. It already has two facilities in Hyderabad and is planning to add one more in the city in the near future.

Meanwhile, ATI Technologies Inc, the US-based $ 2 billion company engaged in the design and manufacture of 3D graphics and digital media silicon solutions, has opened its research and development centre here.

Incidentally, the expanding operations of IT and BPO outfits have also boosted the business of air-conditioning companies. According to T G S Babu, executive director of Blue Star Ltd (BSL), the demand for air-conditioning has gone up by 150 per cent in Hyderabad during the recent summer months with more and more IT and BPO companies setting up units in the city.

And banking on this scenario, BSL has come out with new air-conditioners that are specifically designed for new economy customers such as software, BPO and telecom outfits.