The Weekly Dispatch
Persistent Systems buys US software firm Starfish Associates for ₹173 crore
Persistent Systems announced the intent to acquire a 100% stake in Starfish Associates for $20.7 million (around ₹173 crore). The acquisition is aimed to build on Persistent’s existing engineering capabilities in the Contact Center & Unified Communications space. The total purchase consideration payable for the acquisition of Starfish is $20.7 million with an upfront payment of $15.4 million (approx. ₹130 crores) to shareholders, subject to customary adjustments for working capital, debt, and cash on closing, as per the regulatory filings.
TCS signs five-year partnership with Sydney Marathon
TCS has added another marathon to its portfolio with the announcement of a 5-year title partnership with the Sydney Marathon, Australia’s largest marathon. “In a five-year partnership, TCS will aid the newly rebranded TCS Sydney Marathon to adopt advanced technologies, become more sustainable, and support its candidature as an Abbott World Marathon Major,” the Tata subsidiary said. The financials of the partnership were not undisclosed.
Capgemini to invest ₹1,000 crore in its new facility in Chennai
Capgemini will invest ₹1,000 crore in the next 3 years to set up a 5,000-seat capacity facility in Chennai. The facility, spanning nearly 6 lakh sq ft, will become a prime destination for top-tier talent in southern India. It will support Capgemini’s diverse specialist teams, including financial services, engineering, digital, cloud, and AI, according to a release. The facility is to be set up at SIPCOT, Siruseri and is slated for completion in April 2027.
HCLTech plans to train 10,000 employees on IBM’s watsonx AI and data platform
HCLTech and IBM have announced a collaboration to establish a Generative AI Center of Excellence (GenAI CoE) based on the IBM watsonx AI and data platform. The CoE will be available through HCLTech’s AI and Cloud Native Labs in Noida, London, New Jersey, and Santa Clara in the US. The companies claim it will help enterprises modernize legacy applications, develop ITSM use cases, reduce coding complexity, and improve skill development on the IBM watsonx platform.
Writesonic ties up with Microsoft to offer enhanced AI solutions for enterprises
Writesonic, a Y-Combinator-backed generative AI platform for content creation and SEO has partnered with Microsoft to advance AI-driven business solutions. The company will integrate Microsoft Azure’s cloud infrastructure to deepen its presence in mid-market and enterprise sectors, promising security and innovation in GenAI solutions. The integration will enable businesses to incorporate Writesonic's AI content marketing and SEO capabilities into their workflows, it added.
KRAFTON to launch 3-4 games every year for India market
Kraftson has decided to increase its India focus by launching 3 to 4 games every year. It also announced plans to set up a development center in India, which will also work on quality assurance tasks. “Since our first investment in February 2021, the company invested over $170 million in more than 10 Indian startups in the last 2 years. We will invest an additional $135-140 million in the next 3 years in gaming, content, and interactive entertainment sectors,” Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India said.
IBM to establish AI cluster for industrial sectors in Gujarat
IBM will be setting up an AI cluster for the BFSI units operating in GIFT City in Gujarat. This cluster will help the BFSI units to experiment with AI and later scale it and develop AI capabilities for themselves. Sandip Patel, MD of IBM India, stated that the initiative will enable these units to develop their own AI capabilities He emphasized the need for collective participation for success, inviting all BFSI residents and government entities to collaborate. He highlighted the importance of their developed platform watsonx in organizing data properly and enabling the building of applications and use cases.
HCLTech launches global delivery centre in Patna
HCLTech announced the launch of its global delivery centre in Patna. The centre will focus on the delivery of IT and engineering services for hi-tech and semiconductor companies. This centre is in line with HCLTech’s strategy of accessing quality talent through expansion to new locations in India under its New Vistas program. This is HCLTech’s first centre in Bihar.
India to be a deep tech powerhouse and a big part of Siemens' game plan
Siemens AG aims to more than double the share of software and digital services in sales to 20%, and India will play a key role in this strategy, CEO Roland Busch said. Siemens has invested €12-13 billion to build up its software portfolio over more than a decade and will continue to expand it. This part of the business is relatively small but growing rapidly, the CEO said. India will be a key region for the conglomerate to fortify its human resources capital and the company is looking at adding another 3,000 specialists.
Airtel increases tariffs by 11-20%
Bharti Airtel raised telecom tariffs by 11-20% following Jio’s announcement to raise tariffs. The new tariffs will take effect from July 3, according to the company. Airtel’s lowest tariff plan will now cost 11% more at ₹199 a month, against ₹179 earlier, a lower jump than Reliance Jio. However, since Jio’s plans were initially priced much lower than Airtel’s, both operators’ entry-level prices are now similar. According to market experts industry ARPU is set to increase to ₹250 following the tariff hike. Airtel’s ARPUs will stabilize at ₹280 following the hike.
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L&T using Generative AI to enhance processes across the project lifecycle says MD Subrahmanyan
L&T is using generative AI to enhance its processes across the project life cycle, the company's chairman and managing director S N Subrahmanyan said on Thursday. To fuel this innovation, the company has launched a collaborative platform connecting aspiring data scientists with domain experts and technology champions to develop cutting-edge, future-proof solutions, Subrahmanyan said during the 79th Annual General Meeting.
Colruyt Group sets up IT Global Capability Centre in Coimbatore
Colruyt Group, the €10.8 billion retail conglomerate employing 33,000+ employees active in four countries, opens its second IT GCC in Coimbatore, the first being in Hyderabad. The addition of the Coimbatore facility is part of the company's India strategy to support the business continuity of IT operations and services. The first center was set up in Hyderabad in 2007 and offers IT services to multiple business units of the Group.
Wayfair on a hiring spree, targets talent from major B-schools
Wayfair, an e-commerce furniture company headquartered in the US has announced the expansion of its workforce at its newly inaugurated Talent Development Center (TDC) in Bengaluru. The company aims to increase its team size to 700 from 400 by the year’s end. The company currently employs 400 people and has launched a 6-month internship program. The internship was a success, claims the company, receiving overwhelming responses. Of the 41 selected interns, 36 have been offered full-time positions with the company.
AstraZeneca to invest ₹250 crores to expand its global innovation and technology centre in Chennai
AstraZeneca India Pvt Ltd (AZIPL), the GCC of the company, has announced an investment of ₹250 crore ($30 million) to expand its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai, which includes close to 1,300 roles focused on driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and streamlining operations across the company globally. The facility currently occupies 3,34,000 sq. ft. office space at Ramanujan IT City, with plans to add approximately 1,80,000 sq. ft. over the next 6 months to accommodate this expansion, creating AstraZeneca’s biggest GCC.
Lenovo elevates Yogesh Singhania as Global HR Services Head
Lenovo has elevated Yogesh Singhania as Global HR Services Head, effective June. In his new role, Yogesh will lead Lenovo's Global HR Service Delivery team, drive strategic HR initiatives, and ensure the seamless operation of HR services across all regions.“I’m pleased to share that I’m starting a new position as Global HR Services Head at Lenovo!,” he posted on Linkedin. In his most recent role, he was working as a global people analytics head. He has been working with Lenovo since 2015 when he joined as an HR analytics and metrics consultant.
Tredence elevates Rekha Nair as CHRO
Tredence, a data science, & AI solutions provider, has promoted Rekha Nair to Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) effective July 1. A strategic HR leader with over 20 years of experience in the consulting industry, Rekha joined Tredence in 2021 as the HR Head for India. Rekha has succeeded Soma Pandey as CHRO. She will oversee Tredence’s global HR strategy in her new role, developing a scalable talent model and continuous learning and innovation culture that accelerates the company’s growth.
Swiggy launches 'Eatlists', a global-first feature in food delivery
Swiggy said it has launched ‘Eatlists’ - a 'global- first' feature in food delivery, to transform how users discover and share food recommendations. The company said like creating and sharing music playlists, Swiggy's Eatlists feature will enable food enthusiasts to curate and share their favorite dishes directly within the Swiggy app. Users can start creating Eatlists by tapping the bookmark icon against their favorite dishes and saving them under different Eatlists.
Hexaware sets up a new office in Coimbatore to focus on data, testing skills
Hexaware Technologies has strengthened its footprint in Tamil Nadu with the inauguration of a new office in Coimbatore. The facility would aid the company's existing Business Process Services division which is already operational in the industrial district. The new office would focus on data and testing skills in data modernization, automation, cloud, software development, data compliance, and Gen AI among others. The decision to strengthen its presence in Coimbatore stems from the strategic and operational advantages.