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Story URL: http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/offshoring/0,3800003026,39126024,00.htm

Microsoft strengthens Indian ties
Extends partnerships with top Indian IT companies TCS and Wipro…

By Andy McCue

Published: Friday 19 November 2004

In the same week it opened a massive R&D campus in Hyderabad Microsoft has boosted its Indian links further by tying up strategic partnerships with the top two Indian IT companies.

The two deals were announced during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's three-day visit to India earlier in the week.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is India's largest IT company and has extended its existing partnership with Microsoft around global and offshore services.

In the second deal India's number two IT company Wipro announced some key outcomes of its existing five-year partnership with Microsoft after a meeting between its chairman Azim Premji and Ballmer.

Wipro said it has massively expanded its offshore Microsoft-related business and realigned internal business units to support a range of Microsoft consulting services to corporate customers.

Commenting on the announcement, Ballmer said: “Wipro offers deep industry expertise and a rich portfolio of solutions that build on the Microsoft platform to help customers reduce costs and grow their top line."

The partnerships highlight the growing impact the Indian IT companies are having on the global IT market, largely through the offshoring phenomenon and both TCS CEO S Ramadorai and Wipro chairman Premji appeared in the top 50 of silicon.com's Agenda Setters list of the most influential people in IT this year.