Three major Information Technology/IT Enabled Services companies are considering Coimbatore as part of their expansion plans, reviving hopes of the sector getting a boost here.
The city has three major facilities for IT companies – the Coimbatore Tidel Park, Coimbatore Hi-Tech Infrastructure and the Rathinam Technopark – that house several companies. Further, in the recent years, several IT start-ups have started operations in the city.
Sources in the sector say that two major IT/ITES service providers and one product company are now considering Coimbatore for investment. They are said to be looking for space at the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) here. While two of them are expected to finalise their decision in a couple of months, the third company is expected to take some time.
Cognizant Technology Solutions, Dell, Ford and Bosch are some of the major companies that have operations here. The IT employee strength is over 70,000 and the Nasscom expects this to grow by 100 per cent in another five years. Almost 80 per cent of the IT space at the Tidel Park is occupied now.
Sources in the sector say that availability of talent because of the presence of large number of colleges make Coimbatore an attractive destination. Some of the social infrastructure, which was not available earlier, has been developed here in the last two years. With better visibility of the city in the IT/ITES map, it will attract investments.
K. Purushothaman, Regional Director of Nasscom, says that for the last two years, there was no major investment in the IT sector here. The three companies that are now considering the city for their expansion are expected to bring in additional 500 jobs in a couple of years.
