India is the world’s largest Business Process Management (BPM) destination. The IT and BPM industry in India is a critical pillar in the country’s economic growth. The industry has the potential to harness new technologies across sectors, thereby creating significant employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. This is further outlined by the fact that India has the largest number of qualified technical graduates in the world.
According to NASSCOM, the IT industry generates an estimated revenue of $ 168 bn annually, which accounts for 8% of India’s GDP. This figure includes export revenue of $ 126 bn. The industry is also one of the largest organised sector employers, generating nearly 14 million direct and indirect jobs. It is further estimated that the IT and BPM industry will contribute up to $ 350 bn to the economy as well as account for 10% of India’s GDP by 2025.
Major Information Technology Hubs in India
Bengaluru:
Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India and contributes to more than 30% of India’s IT exports. With IT companies such as Infosys, Wipro, Mphasis and Mindtree housed in the city and an International Tech Park in Whitefield, Bengaluru is now the country’s largest IT hub. Electronic City is another major IT park in Bengaluru and is amongst the largest in India. Over the years, Bengaluru has become the most preferred destination for IT investments due to its strategic location and the abundance of local talent in the city.
Hyderabad:
Hyderabad has witnessed a surge in the number of IT organisations in the last 3-4 decades, making the city only second to Bengaluru in terms of global IT engagement. Many international conglomerates such as Microsoft, Google, IBM, Yahoo, Dell and Facebook have set up their Indian headquarters in the city. Hyderabad is also known for HITEC (IT and Engineering Consultancy City), a major technology centre. It is home to a number of IT Parks, namely, L&T Infocity, Vanenburg IT Park, Mindspace, Cyberabad Social Economic Zone (SEZ), DLF IT SEZ, TCS Synergy Park and built-to-suit campuses of several major technology companies. Gachibowli is the major IT suburb of Hyderabad, located in the northwest part of the city.
Chennai:
Chennai, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub of India, is the second largest exporter of IT and ITES. It has India’s largest operational centres of TCS and Cognizant. Other notable companies located here include Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technology, Tech Mahindra, Oracle Finance Services Software, Larsen & Toubro Infotech, Mphasis, Mindtree and Hexaware Technologies. Siruseri, home to the SIPCOT IT Park, is a major technology park located in Chennai’s cyber corridor. The development centres of major software companies are also located in the city and account for approximately 14% of the total exports of software businesses in India.
Delhi & NCR:
Cyber City, Gurugram is one of the country’s fastest-growing districts - and has emerged as a preferred destination for IT companies due to its strategic location and proximity to the capital. Software development giants situated in Cyber City include Infosys, Cognizant, Mphasis, Accenture, ThoughtWorks, Oracle, SAP and HCL Technologies.
Chandigarh:
The infrastructure in Punjab is currently amongst the best in India. The state also has an abundance of skilled human resource - with 102 engineering colleges, 193 polytechnics and 369 ITI’s imparting necessary education and training across industries and sectors. The presence of IT giants such as Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Net Solutions, Kays Harbor technologies and IDS Infotech has made the city one of the largest technological hubs of Northern India.
Mumbai and Pune:
Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is home to the headquarters of leading IT organisations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Oracle Finance Services Software and Larsen & Toubro Infotech. Located on the western fringes of Mumbai, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi has emerged as one of the biggest IT hubs in the city. Further, the iGate knowledge park, Airoli in Navi Mumbai has developed a strong IT ecosystem - employing thousands of IT professionals from across the country.
In Pune, Kharadi is the major IT hub. It also has an SEZ, EON Free Zone.
Kolkata:
Kolkata is the only metropolitan city in Eastern India which is a major IT hub. The city has offices of international software companies such as Sun Microsystems, Honeywell, Accenture and Cognizant. DLF IT Park in Rajarhat is a new and upcoming IT and residential hub, that is strategically located with excellent connectivity to the southern and northern regions of Kolkata. Technopolis in Salt Lake City is another IT hub, that is home to many prominent firms such as TCS, Wipro and IBM – that currently employ over 1 lakh people.
Ahmedabad:
Ahmedabad is the hub of the IT industry in Western India. Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Microsoft and Gateway TechnoLabs are the major players in the region. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) has emerged as a global hub for financial and IT services and is one of India’s first international financial services centre – that has created over 1 million direct and indirect job opportunities.
Kochi:
Kochi (also known as Cochin) is the commercial hub of Kerala and is one of the leading IT centres of India. Cochin SEZ (CSEZ) in Kakkanad is the state’s second largest IT park. Further, Infopark and Smart City have developed as leading IT hubs of the state due to their strategic location and proximity to the administrative department of the Ernakulam district. Kochi is home to a number of prominent IT companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Cognizant, Microsoft, MobMe, ThinkPalm Technologies and UST Global.
Thiruvananthapuram:
Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram has world-class IT infrastructure facilities, that makes it a much sought after IT destination in Kerala. The state offers great opportunities for the IT industry due to factors such as geographical accessibility, an extensive telecom network that reaches all towns and villages, high literacy and export-based trade and commerce.
