New Horizons to start 250 IT centres

New Horizons India Ltd -- the joint venture between US-based New Horizons Worldwide and Shriram Global Technologies -- will invest Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) in the next three years to set up 250 IT Training Centres across the country.

''With an investment of about Rs 200 crore, we will open 40 company-owned IT facilities in key metros and 210 franchisee-owned centres in satellite cities within three years,'' NHIL president Ajay Kumar Sharma said at the inauguration of the first New Horizons IT training centre in New Delhi on Tuesday night.

Sharma said NHIL would open its second IT training centre at Noida, Uttar Pradesh, within three months.

In the first year of its operation, the company would target metro cities for setting up IT facilities in the country.

Besides, New Horizons would address the enterprise and corporate markets, bringing to the fore its core competence in corporate training, he added.

The NHIL president said the Delhi facility, inaugurated by Minister of State for IT and Communication Ashok Pradhan, has been certified as an 'Authorised Prometric Testing Centre'.

Prometric -- a part of Baltimore-based Thomson Corporation -- is the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services for IT certification, academic admissions, and professional license and certifications.

Sharma said New Horizons authorised Prometric Testing Centre would offer globally-recognised testing and certification for a range of vendor technologies including Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Sun, Red Hat, Prosoft training, Ascendant learning and CompTIA.

"Demand for vendor certification courses is perennial in nature and is likely to increase with the growing need for security and networking professionals. With the Delhi IT facility, our students will benefit from a one-point solution for certification with both training and testing delivered at the same centre,'' he added.

In line with its global product portfolio, he said, New Horizons would offer corporate as well as retail training to its customers in India.

The NHIL would also focus on providing high-end training modules and specialised certification courses to IT professionals and the developer community in the country.

In addition, New Horizons would offer long-term courses based on industry demand for individuals, he pointed out.

Describing the initial response to New Horizons IT training modules and course as encouraging, Sharma said, ''This is reflected in the fact that NHIL has already signed on 20 corporate customers in India, including NTPC, ministry of finance and commerce, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Prasar Bharti, GE and KPMG.''

UNI