Leading Indian company to create 250 jobs in Belfast

India's HCL is to invest #1.9 million to create 250 jobs in Belfast, as it expands its call centre operation, writes Nabanita Sircar.

India's HCL BPO is to invest £1.9 million to create 250 jobs in Belfast, as it expands its call centre operation. Of the total sum slated for investment £625,000 will come from Invest NI, with an additional £295,000 being provided for training through the Company Development Programme.

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"This investment is especially significant as it reverses the trend," said Northern Ireland's economy minister, Barry Gardiner. "Here we have a leading company from India investing in Northern Ireland."

HCL said that it is expanding its operation in Belfast in order to develop its business in the expanded EU. It said that it will provide its higher value-added services from Belfast, while providing other services from lower cost centres in India.

Ranjit Narasimhan, Chief Operating Officer of HCL in Belfast, said: "We are expanding services in Belfast to enable us to develop opportunities that we have identified in European markets, especially Great Britain, for a quality provider of contact services to major clients in the retail, banking and commercial sectors.

"Belfast is an integral part of our business development strategy which now offers clients a blended and particularly cost-effective delivery of contact services. This strategy enables clients to access higher value added services from Belfast, together with those from lower cost centres in India."

HCL currently employs over 13,000 people worldwide, including a software development operation in England, and has sales in excess of $1 billion. The HCL operation in Belfast was acquired by the company from BT in 2001, which set up the centre in 1997.