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TCS learning centre on IIT-Guwahati campus

Special Correspondent

MoU signed to develop collaboration in research and development based on mutual interests

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

A unique initiative: Ramadorai, CEO and MD of TCS, handing over to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi the MoU between TCS and IIT-Guwahati in Guwahati on Saturday. (From left) Director, IIT, Guwahati, Gautom Barua, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh and Assam IT and Health Minister Mimanta Biswa Sarma.

Guwahati: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Saturday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, for setting up a TCS learning centre on the IIT campus and to develop collaboration in research and development based on mutual interests. As part of this initiative, TCS also signed a lease agreement with the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) for taking 50 flats in the National Games Village here on lease for a period of three years.

This was the first investment initiative in the northeast by an IT major; it was also the first collaboration between TCS and an IIT.

Long term commitment

Speaking on the occasion of signing of MoUs here, CEO and MD of TCS S. Ramadorai said it was “the beginning of a long term commitment by TCS” to harness and develop the intellectual capital available in the northeast region. He said the TCS Learning Centre would start by the middle of this year and about 150 engineering graduates would be trained in the first batch.

He said Assam was known for tea and oil and but now it would also be known for software. Two key factors behind TCS coming to the State were the availability of talented manpower and the industry-friendly attitude of the State government.

“TCS has always been a pioneer in developing talent in India. We have been delighted with the level of talent emerging from the northeast and by setting up a dedicated training centre here, we can give a strong fillip to the human capital development efforts in an inclusive manner by hiring and training engineers and science graduates from this areas,” Mr. Ramadorai said. With three more engineering colleges in the pipeline, the total number of engineering graduates in the region would be around 2,000 each year.

Union Minister of state for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, who took the initiative in persuading TCS to come to Assam, described the TCS venture as the first investment and long term commitment by a major IT player and added that it would have a catalytic effect on other IT players to make Guwahati their next IT destination.

Long way to go

He said that though there were three software technology parks in the northeast region — in Guwahati, Imphal and Gangtok — their contribution was almost zero to the country’s total software exports of $40 billion. TCS entry into the northeast was significant as it marked the beginning of the IT companies moving from recruitment to investment. He said about 5 to 10 per cent of manpower of almost all companies was recruited from the northeast, but the region was yet to see investment by the IT players.

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