Jobs are back with a bang in India, proving it to be the most optimistic nation in terms of hiring plans.
Infosys Technologies on Friday said it would bid for multi-crore rupee projects under the Unique Identification Database Authority, which would be headed by the company's former co-chairman Nandan Nilekani, as it sees no conflict of interest.
"We are looking for acquisitions," Infosys chief executive officer and managing director Kris Gopalakrishnan told reporters in Mumbai on the sidelines of the Nasscom India Leadership Forum on Thursday.
India's efforts at improving the chances of becoming a force in global IT industry depend on factors such as IT policies, infrastructure-building, education, innovation and investment, said Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys.
Hong Kong-based Finance Asia conducts the annual poll to find Asia's top companies in different categories, including Best CEO, it said. In the best managed company category, HDFC Bank came third while in corporate governance category, the bank was ranked second after Infosys Technologies.
Software major Infosys would wait for some more time before taking a decision on the future of its first development facility at Rajarhat near themetropolis.
Even three decades after Infosys, India's second-largest software service provider, was founded by middle-class engineers, the country has failed to create an enabling environment for first-generation entrepreneurs.
The process is long-drawn, meticulous, and in consonance with the company's stated vision: 'To be a globally respected corporation that provides best-of-breed business solutions, leveraging technology, delivered by best-in-class people.'
He spoke on key strategies the company is adopting to tide over the rough times.
It is really unfortunate that this happened during a downturn. We think that in the short term, customers will ask for higher comfort level, which will enable us to go in for more trust-building, says S (Kris) Gopalakrishnan.
This is the first major change of guard at India's second largest information technology services company, in the wake of the retirement of co-founder and chairman, N R Narayana Murthy, last week.
Industry analysts say the companies are watching the situation.
Infosys Technologies appears to have set out on a journey of generational change which will unravel over the next few years.
IT major Infosys Technologies would be focusing on emerging countries, including Brazil, China and India.
The recession hit IT industry would show positive signs of recovery by mid-2010 and Infosys will diversify into new markets then, a top IT company official said in Chennai on Tuesday.
The Infosys facility will come on over 50 acre it received from the West Bengal government.
Looking at the forthcoming year, while there will be macroeconomic challenges, industry in India is better off because we are still growing. If we manage the next 12-18 months, we should emerge stronger, says S Gopalakrishnan.
Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan has called for enhanced efforts to ensure adequate funds for the small and medium industries as the sector has a crucial role in creating jobs and promoting growth.
Infosys CEO S Kris Gopalakrishnan on Wednesday said that the IT major was looking at acquisitions in various geographies and has earmarked $450-500 million for the purpose.
The much-awaited demutualisation of Bombay Stock Exchange was completed on Friday after Asia's oldest bourse sold its 51 per cent stake to 21 investors.
The last couple of months have dealt a severe blow to IT firms, which has even prompted the top listed Indian IT services providers to inform investors that they need to scale down their growth expectations from the sector that, on an average, has been growing almost 30 per cent year-on-year.
"There will be no layoffs in the Indian context and, as said before, we will be recruiting 25,000 people gross. We will make our people prepared for the upturn, which will happen. We are focusing on recruiting people and training them. We are focusing on education as this is a great opportunity to make a positive brand and image for the company. We are still seeing opportunities in the market," said Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys.
With a view to tap the east Europe market better, the Nasdaq-listed software major Infosys is planning to set up a centre in Czechoslovakia for both information technology and business process outsourcing operations.
In an interview with the local media, Infosys chief executive Kris Gopalakrishnan, who is currently in Seattle for Microsoft's CEO Summit this week, said that the company plans to add more than 100 new employees as part of a big US expansion in anticipation of growth resuming in 2010. Altogether, Infosys plans to hire about 1,000 people across the US over the next 12 to 18 months, he said. Already, 14,000 of the company's 1,04,000 employees are based in the US.
Infosys has a long way to go as far as IT business is concerned, said Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO Infosys Technologies Ltd.
Infosys Technologies co-chairman Nandan Nilekani is working on a book "on weekends". The book, to be published by Penguin, will be out next year.
The Indian software industry reacted guardedly to the US Senate passing a bill banning government contractors from outsourcing, preferring to watch on how the events would unfold in the election year in the United States.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday nudged the fintech industry to break the distance barrier and have more engagements with the government and its agencies to enhance trust. Sitharaman was replying to a question by Kris Gopalakrishnan, chairman, Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2022 advisory board, who wanted to know how to ensure trust among industry, regulators, and the government. "I don't want to sound cliche, but distance brings distrust. "So, cut the distance down, have greater engagement with the government," the minister said.
Sachin Tendulkar has recently made an equity investment of $2 million in digital entertainment and technology company JetSynthesys. The investment further strengthens Tendulkar's relationship with JetSynthesys, as the two already have an existing joint venture for a digital destination for all things cricket, called 100MB, and immersive cricket games Sachin Saga Cricket Champions and Sachin Saga VR. With this investment, Tendulkar joins the bandwagon of existing shareholders of JetSynthesys, who include Adar Poonawalla, Kris Gopalakrishnan, and the multi-billion-dollar family offices of the promoters of Thermax, Triveni Group, Yohan Poonawalla Group and DSP Group.
Having his feet on the ground, Infosys chief talks of the industry's challenges, his company's changing focus and the new business model that will use a lot more of cloud computing.
The IT-BT minister claimed that the then BJP government did not merely charge a '40 per cent commission', as his party had claimed during the assembly election, but had collected a commission of more than 400 per cent.
Infosys co-founder S D Shibulal has received little over four lakh shares of the company as a gift, taking the total number of shares owned by him to more than 21.6 lakh shares, according to a regulatory filing. Infosys, on Friday, informed the stock exchanges that "4,01,000 equity shares (representing 0.01 per cent) of Infosys Ltd by way of gift as off market transaction on November 12, 2020" were given to Shibulal. The filing did not mention who gifted these shares.
The data-sharing obligations could generally place India at a disadvantage, given that such obligations may not exist in other countries and such outcomes would be undesirable, said Nasscom.
Be it automobile, health care, retail such as e-commerce, electricity or other utilities, everything will get disrupted and transformed over next 30 years.
After his retirement from Infosys last year, Gopalakrishnan has been active in philanthropy, science and technology
Sore points: Sikka's salary, high severance pay to executives, poor disclosures.
Reminiscing time spent at the firm he co-created with six other friends in 1981, Infosys non-executive chairman S Gopalakrishnan said many major events in his life are linked to major milestones of Infosys.
Lauding the pro-reforms approach adopted by Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, industry body Confederation of Indian Industry on Thursday expressed the hope that the central bank would shift towards an expansionary monetary policy by cutting interest rates to stimulate growth.
Infosys has been demanding SEZ status to start its Bengal campus, but the state government has been against providing it.
Ratan Tata invested about $299,000 during the first six months of 2016.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances