Wipro will be number one software exporter in four years, says its new chief

Bangalore: The newly appointed Wipro Ltd.

vice chairman, Vivek Paul has given himself four years to make the company number one

software exporter in the country. Mr Paul, who is also the president and chief executive

officer of Wipro Infotech Software and Services division, is based in the US.

Though Wipro is well known in the domestic market, it is

yet to become a globally recognised brand. "We want to build the same brand equity in

other countries also. Being based in the US, I am closer to my customers. It gives me the

advantage of learning about their needs and devising strategies instead of being buried

under routine transactions,’’ Mr Paul said. Besides the US, he plans to tap the

European and Japanese market. Additionally, there will be an increased focus on the

domestic market.

Under Mr Paul’s leadership, Wipro Infotech would aim

at developing packaged software, which would cut down the implementation time and could be

sold as generic products.

Mr Paul indicated about some changes in the company in

October 1999. He however declined to give any details on the changes and how he planned to

fuel growth in software exports. Mr Paul is currently on a three-week visit to India to

learn and interact with the seniors in the company.

Wipro has recorded a total revenue of Rs 1,443.2 crore,for

the year 1998-99, showing a growth of 38 per cent over the previous year. At the same

time, Wipro’s software services division has recorded 70 percent growth over last

year, achieving almost Rs 800 crore. Refusing to give any figure of perojected growth, Mr

Paul said, "Wipro is not the fastest growing in the industry. My challenge is to

ensure its growth as fast as the best in the industry," he said.