Look beyond Bangalore, says Karnataka Govt

Look beyond Bangalore, says Karnataka Govt

The Hindu Business Line

BANGALORE: Karnataka has suggested to IBM that it should start looking beyond Bangalore for expanding its operations. IBM is currently in the process of setting up a campus in Bangalore spread over 10 acres in the northern parts of the city. The proposed campus entails investments to the tune of several millions.

"We are persuading them to go beyond Bangalore and look at secondary cities such as Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli among others for expanding their operations," Mr M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda, Karnataka IT Secretary, who met Mr Palmisano, said.

IBM has already made a request to the State Government seeking some 50 acres of land in Mysore. "IBM's proposal for land in Mysore is before the single window agency that clears projects," sources said.

Moreover, IBM has already set up a Linux Development Centre in Hubli and it is likely to be inaugurated soon, sources said. The Linux centre has been set up at B.V.B Engineering College and further details were not available.

Over last couple of years, IBM has expanded its India operations rapidly as it offshore more projects and reduced jobs elsewhere globally to cut costs. The company has over 25,000 employees in India, bulk of whom operate from Bangalore.

The company has seen double-digit growth over the last five years and recorded a 45-per cent revenue growth in 2004.