NIIT -- Asia's largest IT trainer -- will open 15 centres in China that would provide high-end information technology training.

In a press release, NIIT said it will train top management, project managers, software engineers and IT users employed with IT companies in 15 provinces in China.

In addition, NIIT will also train the software professionals of Indian IT companies operating in China.

NIIT chief operating officer P Rajendran made this announcement while presenting 'Global strategy for IT competency and IT training solutions' to IT heads of companies in China and government officials.

Unveiling a part of NIIT's strategy to expand IT training offerings in China, Rajendran said: "Our unique and synergistic business model, with software and training businesses complementing each other, gives us an incredible advantage to offer a comprehensive high end training to software professionals."

Rajendran said that the software and services industry in China has set up an ambitious target to propel the current $1.5 billion exports to $5 billion level by 2005.

"To meet this ambitious goal China will need to step up the number of IT professionals from 590,000 to 800,000 by 2005."

Rajendran attributed exploding domestic market, rising wage rate differential, favourable regulations and government support, rising quality of talent and growing Japanese off shoring to China as the growth drivers for China's IT services industry.

NIIT will be offering an integrated enterprise-wide IT training solution, Manage-IT to address the complete IT training needs of an enterprise through aggregation of various proven technology training tools created indigenously by NIIT's instructional research and design teams.

After achieving the 100-education center mark in China last quarter NIIT- the first Indian IT training company to enter China - has been busy drawing up expansion plans for further strengthening its presence in China.

NIIT's 5-year experience in China has given it crucial inputs and brand equity to offer products customised to the specific needs of the country, the release said.