NIIT to set up 15 centres of excellence in China

Company press release, June 30, 2003

New Delhi

NIIT, Asia's largest IT Trainer, has announced its plans to offer high-end IT training through 15 Centres of Excellence in China.

Through these Centres of Excellence, NIIT will train Top Managements, Project Managers, Software Engineers and IT Users employed with IT companies in 15 provinces in China. In addition, NIIT will also train the Software Professionals of Indian IT companies operating in China.

NIIT Chief Operating Officer Mr P Rajendran made this announcement while presenting 'Global Strategy for IT Competency and IT Training Solutions' to IT Heads of Companies in China and officials of Ministry of Information Industry and Ministry of Education.

Mr Rajendran visited China as part of the CII delegation accompanying the Indian Prime Minister, for greater collaboration between India and China in the IT sector. The Business delegation included large number of representatives from Indian IT companies who expressed the desire to scale up or set up operations in China.

During his 5-day visit to Shanghai and Beijing, Mr Rajendran met with heads of Universities, companies and government officials.

Unveiling part of NIIT's strategy to expand IT training offerings in China, Mr Rajendran said, Our unique and synergistic business model, with software and training business complementing each other, gives us an incredible advantage to offer a comprehensive high end training to software professionals.

The software side provides a window to the real world of problem-solving, practice and experimentation. The essence of that experience in turn goes back into the classrooms where the teaching is enriched with real-life applications.

After achieving the 100-Education Center mark in China last quarter, NIIT, the first IT training company from India to enter the land of the Dragon, has been busy drawing up expansion plans for further strengthening its presence here. NIIT's 5-year experience in China has given it crucial inputs and brand equity to offer products customised to the specific needs of the country.

Mr Rajendran said that the software and services industry in China has set up an ambitious target to propel the current USD 1.5 billion exports to USD 5 billion level by 2005.

To meet this ambitious goal China will need to step up the number of IT professionals from 590,000 to 800,000 by 2005. Mr Rajendran attributed exploding domestic market, rising wage rate differential, favourable regulations and government support, rising quality of talent and growing Japanese off shoring to China as the growth drivers for China's IT services industry.

However, for China to achieve this ambitious goal its IT industry will have to move up the value chain and keep improving the IT skill set.

The IT industry in China expects a lot from NIIT and IT Software Sector in China will benefit the most from this initiative, says Prakash Menon, NIIT General Manager in China for 5 years.

NIIT will be offering an integrated enterprise-wide Information Technology (IT) Training Solution, Manage-IT, to address the complete IT training needs of an enterprise through aggregation of various proven Technology Training tools created indigenously by NIIT's Instructional Research & Design teams. Manage-IT technology draws upon the vast experience of NIIT in providing IT training and creating IT solutions for diverse global audiences.

The company's unique, customised 'e-Tian Tong' curriculum has evoked considerable interest for high-quality training in China. NIIT benchmarked quality IT education has touched thousands of students in 100 education centres dotting 80 pc of the Chinese provinces. NIIT has been working in China in partnership with local companies, over 10 leading universities and 3 Software Technology parks.

NIIT's move into China that started in 1998 has been followed by successful forays into other Asia-Pacific markets such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The company's vast experience in the IT segment—reflected in its two decades of experience in training over 2 million people in over 30 countries—is backed by its ability to provide solutions in the local language. NIIT's IT education solutions are available in Mandarin, Spanish, French, Arabic, Thai and Japanese.

NIIT is the first and the only Asian Education and Training Organization to feature among the IDC top 15 global IT training market leaders. The company has been conferred the 'Best Training Company Award 2001' and the best 'Certified Technical Education Centers Solutions Award 2002' by Microsoft.

Backgrounder on NIIT operations in China

- NIIT's education network in China exceeds 100-centre mark in 25 provinces in China.

- In a unique win-win-win model for the Students-University and NIIT, the company has tied up with over 10 leading universities of China for setting up centres within the University campuses. Three of the leading Software Parks also have become NIIT Partners and have set up NIIT centers in their parks.

- NIIT has established its credibility by acquiring prestigious placements for its students in organizations.

- NIIT is committed to building a large IT manpower pool by enhancing the Knowledge Assets of individuals & organizations and would be expanding its reach in China by becoming a single window solution for IT training.

- Launched the first centre in Shanghai in 1998 as a Cooperative Joint Venture with Pudong Continuing Education Centre (PCEC), the education arm of the Municipal Government of Shanghai.

- Opened two additional centres (Tian Mu and Tian Sha) in the 2nd half of 1999 before embarking on a major expansion 2001 onwards.

- NIIT was the first Indian company to be given permission by the Chinese Government to set up a Wholly Owned Foreign Entity (WOFE) in the country, allowing NIIT to set up professional education centers anywhere in China.

About NIIT

NIIT, a leading Global IT Solutions corporation with balanced Software and Training revenues, operates in 44 countries through Regional Headquarters in USA, UK, Asia-Pac, Japan and India.

NIIT Technologies offers Custom Software Development & Maintenance, Legacy Maintenance & Modernization, Enterprise Integration and Knowledge Solutions. NIIT Technologies offers solutions in the Finance, Transport and Retail domains.

The Knowledge Solutions Practice has emerged as a clear leader in the field of Knowledge Management and E-Learning.

NIIT SmartServe, the Remote Business Process Management subsidiary of NIIT, provides services in the Insurance, Finance and Learning areas.

NIIT pioneered IT training in India in 1981 and its distinct training programs include 'Planetworkz'--an IT Enabled Services (ITES) industry-endorsed initiative to address the manpower needs of the growing ITES industry in India; Futurz--A series of programs of varying duration including GNIIT and CareerEdge; CATS--Curriculum for Advanced Technologies Studies -- offer training on advanced technology; SWIFT--Short Work Programs in Information Technology--caters to the IT and Internet literacy needs of people. NIIT has 3882 education centres in 31 countries.

NIIT@School addresses the school students segment, delivering IT Training to over 7,50,000 students in 2000 schools in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Contact for media queries:

Sanjiv Kataria

Corporate Communications

NIIT

8 Balaji Estate

Sudarshan Munjal Marg

Kalkaji

New Delhi 110019

Ph: 91 11 26203344

Fax: 91 11 26203386

E-mail: sanjivk@niit.com