TCS launches new initiative to harness talent from the North East of India
March 3, 2008

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), announced that the company had undertaken a major new initiative to harness and develop the intellectual capital available in the North-East of the country. TCS is the first Indian IT company to create a dedicated programme to tap the talented professionals from this area.

TCS also signed a MoU with IIT-Guwahati for setting up a TCS Learning Centre on the IIT campus at Guwahati and to develop collaborative in research and development based on mutual interests. TCS trainees will also have access to all facilities on the IIT Guwahati campus including classrooms, library as well as sport and recreational facilities.

As part of this pioneering initiative, TCS signed a lease agreement with the Assam Government for leasing 50 flats in the national games village for a period of 3 years.

The MoUs were signed between TCS, IIT-Guwahati and Assam Government representatives in the presence of the Jairam Ramesh, union minister of state, commerce, as well as Tarun Gogoi, the chief minister of Assam and S Ramadorai, CEO and MD of TCS. Other dignitaries present included Himanta Biswa Sarma, the minister IT, GDD, health and S&T, Government of Assam, PC Sharma IAS, chief secretary of Assam, Gautam Barua, director, IIT Guwahati.

"We would like to welcome TCS and extend full support to their initiative to develop the plentiful talent in Assam and lay the groundwork for creating an IT industry in the state," said Sarma.

"TCS has always been a pioneer in developing talent in India. We have been delighted with the level of talent emerging from the north-east of India 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 area," said Ramadorai. "The abundance of high-quality talent available in the North-East will be highlighted on a global scale through our initiatives. We plan to hire the faculty for the training centre as well as fresh graduates from colleges in this area and make them an integral part of TCS.

Moves to further increase the supply of engineers and science graduates will also help sustain the availability and quality of talent in the future," said Ajoy Mukherjee, vice president and head, global HR, TCS.

The new training facility in Guwahati will be used to conduct TCS's globally recognised Initial Learning Program for fresh engineering graduates as well as the 7-month "Ignite" training programme for the science graduates.