Date:01/10/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/10/01/stories/2004100101690500.htm

Back Irish grant for HCL Tech unit

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Sept. 30

HCL Technologies BPO, a wholly owned subsidiary of HCL Technologies, has announced that Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) located at Belfast has sanctioned a grant of Ł920,000 to its Belfast operations.

In line with its plan to expand services in Belfast, HCL Technologies BPO had announced the creation of 250 additional jobs at its call centre there. The current proposal to enhance jobs comes on the back of an increased demand for telemarketing services, including outbound sales and inbound customer services for several clients.

The proposed expansion plan entails an investment of Ł1.9 million by the company and is being further backed by public funds through Invest NI, a company release said.

Invest NI was formed in April 2002 by the Northern Ireland Government as the main economic development organisation to promote innovation in all its aspects, stimulate higher levels of R&D, and attract knowledge-based investment from outside Northern Ireland.

The agency makes grants towards promotion of long-term employment opportunities, as it has done in case of HCL.