Deep Blue pockets: IBM triples its India investment to $6 billion over 3 yrs

This tripling of IBM investment in India will ensure that ‘‘we make the most of the opportunities to grow this market place, while it also enables IBM to fulfill its vision to become a globally integrated company,” Palmisano said.

IBM is currently India’s largest MNC employer, with 43,000 employees—a nearly five fold increase from two years ago when the employee count was merely 9000 professionals.

Speaking to over 10,000 IBM employees sitting at the Palace Grounds and beamed into the venue via satellite from other parts of the country, Palmisano said IBM is excited about India. “We see India’s role as central to our global enterprise.”

The company will primarily invest in India to enhance service delivery capabilities, telecom-related research, development operations, hiring and training initiatives and other community initiatives, IBM India MD Shankar Annaswamy said.

IBM’s India revenues recorded a 55% year-on-year growth in 2005, while in the first quarter of the current year the revenues grew by 61% on an annual basis.

About 50 global financial analysts and business partners of IBM were also part of the annual analysts’ meet here, being held for the first time outside the United States.

IBM India began operations in 1992 and is the largest country operation outside IBM’s US base that employs 140,000 people. In India, the company has employees in 14 cities and 2,500 partners across 40 cities.