TCS to tweak hardware capability

CHENNAI: Tata Consultancy Services is planning to enhance the hardware manufacturing capability that it got when it acquired Tata Infotech in July 2005.

S. Padmanabhan, Executive Vice-President in charge of global human resource development said, “Tata Infotech’s production centre in Goa was used to manufacture ATM machines. The assembly line lends it self to electronic manufacturing. We will be using that facility to offer more to existing customers in the engineering services area.”

Padmanabhan said that We have traditionally been into software design. Now, hardware design is a focus area. We will manufacture electronic systems that are used by a range of customers. An example of what would come out of that plant is real time systems used in water purifying, he said.

The facility has 300 people. TCS expects the headcount to stay at that level for now. He added, “We will be using manufacturing expertise within the Tata group, such as from Tata Chemicals, to aid us in this.”

Asked if this helped increase revenues significantly, he said that this offering is only a small part of the engineering services practice of the company. Engineering services itself contributes to between 5 and 6 per cent of total revenues. “However, this option would help complete the range of services that the company offers to a client,” according to him.