TCS plans training centre in Pakistan

Tata Consultancy Services will set up a Centre of Excellence for software professionals in Pakistan that would go on-stream in a couple of weeks.

The CoE, to be set up at Lahore, will provide software-training to both, students and corporates of the Punjab province.

The company would invest a 'substantial amount' in the CoE and would be known as Initial Learning Programme. The company is ready with its resources and faculty for the programme.

However, the timing for the operations is yet to be decided, sources in TCS told Business Standard.

TCS is also planning to set up another CoE in Karachi's Sindh province. The centre would go on-stream, immediately after the Lahore one is up and running.

TCS' managing director and chief executive officer, S Ramadorai said a formal announcement would be made in a few days.

He however did not divulge further details including the investments that the Tata group expects to make in Pakistan.

Earlier on Friday, senior and mid-level officials from TCS had met the Sindh IT Minister, Syed Mustafa Kamal and discussed the project.

The minister has promised all the 'required infrastructure and human resources', sources said.

Representatives of Pakistan Software Houses Association, P@SHA, the apex body of software and allied companies in the country, including its president Jehan Ara and officials of Internet Association of Pakistan were also present at the meeting.

The move follows a recent Tata Group strategy for Saarc region as stated by its chairman, Ratan N Tata. Tata had visited Pakistan early this year and had met top officials including Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Ratan Tata, during his visit, had also said that Pakistan would be the ideal destination for investments in software, hotels and automobiles due to the similarities between the two nations and its unique geographical positioning in the Saarc region.