BEIJING: Oracle Software is planning to double its manpower strength in India
within the next two
years, according to Oracle Corporation, executive VP-Asia Pacific, Derek
Williams. He was addressing the Indian press at the Oracle World event currently
going on at Beijing. From the current strength of around 2,000 engineers, the
idea is to scale it upto 4,000.
According to Williams, "India is incredibly important for Oracle. In fact,
India and China are the two jewels of the crown in the Oracle firmament."
In India, Oracle has two development centers located at Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Outside of the US, India is the biggest development center for Oracle. Revealed
Jeff Henley, CFO, Oracle Corporation that the Indian operations are already
profitable.
He said, "We have invested large amounts in the Indian capability and we
value it greatly. We are looking at moving people from all our disciplines to
India." Around five per cent of Oracle's total global workforce of 42,000
is already based in India.
Added Williams, "The biggest concentration of R&D engineers outside the
US is in the Indian facilities at Bangalore and Hyderabad. We are very clear
that vital generic software development for global markets will be done out of
India." Moreover, he believes that India is a vibrant market in its own
right. Not only is Oracle participating in the evolutionary process with ERP and
e-governance but it wants to be at the vanguard of the change in financial
services and the banking sector. Interestingly, Oracle has sold more call center
software in India than it has all over the rest of Asia-Pacific put together. At
the same time, Williams reckons that business process outsourcing will be the
next big thing out of India.
"India will be the world leader in both BPO and call centers", he
said. When questioned about the probability of the next Oracle World taking
place in India, Williams declined to commit anything. "Yes, you will see
Oracle World in India. I cannot give you a timeline, but it will be coming,
certainly India is a leading candidate", he added.
At the same time, Henley felt that India is well ahead of China in terms of the
development standpoint
primarily because the English language is the differentiator. However, he
cautioned that the politics and bureaucracy is holding India back. He likened
India to Argentina, which too is grappling with structural problems.
On the other hand, Oracle India, head, Marketing, Somesh Bhagat continued to be
bullish on India saying that business in India is growing extremely well.
"We are restoring a compounded annual growth rate of close to 40 per cent
over the last four to five years", he said.
Oracle to double manpower count in India
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