Wipro, one of India's largest software and services
companies, has set up a base in Shanghai to offer services to the
Chinese operations of its multinational customers.
The focus of Wipro Shanghai will be on localisation and
implementation of packaged software from suppliers such as SAP and
Oracle.
It will also concentrate on IT infrastructure services, rather
than on core software development, which will continue to be done
from India, according to Masaki Nagao, president of Wipro's
Japanese subsidiary.
Wipro Shanghai will primarily serve the operations in China of
Wipro's global customers, though later it may address the local
Chinese market as well, Nagao added. Wipro has so far invested
U$200,000 (£110,000) in the Shanghai operation.
Of Wipro's top 25 customers in Japan, 21 have operations in
China, some of whom have requested Wipro services for their
operations in China, according to Nagao.
Indian software and services companies have made a beeline to
China, both to tap the Chinese market and to use it as a base to
serve customers in Japan and Korea.
"China is the fastest-growing market for technology and
services, especially for the financial services and telecom
[markets]," said Kris Gopalakrishnan, chief operating officer of
Infosys. "It's natural for us to be there."
Infosys has set up a 200-staff subsidiary in Pudong, China. "At
the initial stages we expect it to serve as a base for our global
customers in China as well as to service local Chinese customers,"
Gopalakrishnan said.
John Ribeiro writes for IDG News Service