Global Development Center for Egypt
Satyam Computer Services Ltd., will launch a Global Development Center (GDC) in the Smart Village in Giza, following a visit to the company’s Hyderabad headquarters by officials from the government of Egypt to finalize details between the two parties. As the first Indian company to establish its presence in Egypt, Satyam believes that this is another important step toward its globalization plans and its aim to leverage the current boom in the region. In 2007, the total IT spend for the MEA region touched $35 billion. The move also helps support Egypt’s goal of becoming an IT hub, with some analysts putting the current value of Egypt’s IT services market at $163 million.
The GDC in Egypt will train and deploy about 300 personnel, the majority of whom will be locals, to handle customer engagements and serve as a major technological development and software support group for Satyam’s customers in the Middle East. Fuelled by the growth of the IT services market and the growing demand for outsourcing, Satyam is setting up this state-of-the-art GDC in a bid to offer regional customers access to the global service standards of Satyam at local prices.
Satyam has pioneered the virtually integrated delivery model 2.0 (VIGDM), which renders services from multiple locations across the globe in real time. Further, the company’s strategy to leverage the local advantage that each region provides in terms of a resource-base and business opportunities, has been evident in its global delivery campuses in China and Malaysia and now in Egypt, along with the opening of its regional offices in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The Global Development Center in Egypt is the first phase of expansion planned by Satyam in the Middle East, with the company also looking at Saudi Arabia as a viable market for a second GDC in the region.
Study on Women Consultants
The Consultancy Development Center of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, government of India has launched a six-month study on the “Status of Women Consultants in India” to assess the role of women professionals in consulting. The Study is being carried out in association with the International Management Institute (IMI), a leading business school in Delhi. The objective of the study is to map the competencies among women professionals and identify gaps, based on which a plan for competency enhancement of women professionals for consulting across sectors/disciplines and functions can be developed.
Many women professionals have personal and family responsibilities that play a part in determining their ability to reach their desired career paths. Finding the right opportunity to maintain an effective balance between personal and professional responsibilities is the challenge for every professional woman today. With the present IT and communication technologies, most consulting activities can be carried out from home resulting in low overheads as well as flexibility. This is an added advantage for women as it helps them in maintaining an effective balance between the professional commitments as well as the family responsibilities.
Studies carried out by McKinsey and IBM indicate that in the coming years women will be an increasing percentage of the workforce at all levels and will play an important role as members of diverse consulting teams. The Study by CDC will include personal interviews in mini/metro cities across the country, besides desk research and a questionnaire based survey.
Private Equity Fair in Mumbai
The India Private Equity Fair (IPEF), the first event of its kind in India, will take place in Mumbai on Feb. 27. IPEF will present 25 Indian companies looking for growth funding, to 150 Private Equity professionals.
YEN Expo Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of YEN Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd., a boutique investment bank based in Mumbai has selected the 25 firms from those received in an online application process.
“We were looking for companies with an existing track record of historical profitability, exhibiting growth, in sectors where the macro economic indicators were good and with operations that were scaleable so that they would be able to use the funding to take advantage of the opportunities offered in their sectors. Based on these factors we have found some very exciting opportunities,” said Carlton Pereira, chairman of the IPEF Selection Committee. “Although Private Equity is growing in India, there are still a large number of companies not being covered by the existing market.”
The companies that have been selected are from many parts of India and from many different sectors including: real estate, infrastructure, auto ancillary, IT and manufacturing. Deal sizes range between $3 million and $375 million.
