Satyam outlines expansion in Asia-Pacific region

Satyam Computer Services has announced a series of expansion plans in the Asia-Pacific region.

China, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia are the geographies which the company is eyeing in an effort to boost revenues from the region. Currently 16 per cent of its global $1.1 billion revenues comes from Asia-Pacific and this Nasdaq-listed firm hopes to have 20 per cent of its global revenues from the region in three years.

The Hyderabad-based firm, among the top 10 software exporters from India, is looking at China for a major expansion. The headcount in this region is expected to touch 3,000 by 2008 from the current 500.

Satyam is expected to announce setting up of its fourth development centre in China, most probably in a Tier-II city in the next few months. Satyam is also expected to close an acquisition in Japan given the tough nature of breaking into clients in this region.

Satyam is also actively bidding for large outsourcing deals, to be upwards of Rs 150 crore, from banks and telecom companies in India.

Said Virender Aggarwal, director and senior vice-president, (APAC, Middle East, India & Africa),: "India and Australia are high growth markets for us in this region and IBM and HP will no longer have uncontested deals in India. The period of free-runs for MNCs here is over. TCS and Wipro are getting active in India and we intend to contest more actively for Indian contracts."

The company is also in the race to get more work from Australian telecom firm Telstra, announcements for which is expected pretty soon.