iGate to hire 1,500 people next year

IT services player iGate has announced that it will hire 1,500 people in 2010, following a rebound in IT outsourcing contracts. iGate said the plan to increase the headcount was a reflection of the improving business environment.

Said iGate CEO Phaneesh Murthy, "We believe there is already a revival in the demand side as the companies have started spending on discretionary projects. The IT budgets are also expected to increase by 2-4 per cent, in 2010." He was in Bangalore on Thursday to inaugurate its new facility, measuring 1.15 lakh sq.ft with a seating capacity of 1,050 people.

The Nasdaq-listed company has 6,400 employees. In the fourth quarter of the present calendar (Oct-Dec 2009), iGate intends to hire 300 people, including 100 for BPO services.

Murthy said, while the pricing environment largely remained stable, the company was seeing a huge increase in the number of first time outsourcers. Of the 12 new clients iGate added during the last two quarters, 11 were first time outsourcers. "This indicates that offshoring to locations like India is expected to increase in the coming days," he added. iGate had reported revenues of $49.1 million in the September quarter.

The company is present in India in four locations including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Noida. It has a near-shore centre in Mexico as well. Its new facility is located in iGate's 13.5 acre campus.

According to the company, special efforts were made to make the new phase green by introducing LED and solar lighting, an ozone-friendly air conditioning system, organic waste converter and a wastewater recycling system.

iGate has taken on a carbon footprint estimation study to determine the Green House Gas (GHG) inventory across all its global delivery facilities in India, Australia and Mexico.