Global IT giant IBM will develop Kochi as its software development hub in India after expanding its operations in this business capital city of Kerala. IBM Senior Vice President Dinesh Nirmal said the IBM Software Lab in Kochi will be developed as the main hub in India.
“Within a year of the IBM Kochi lab, we are planning to expand its operations here and make Kochi the main hub of our software development in India,” Dinesh Nirmal said, addressing a press conference along with Industries Minister P Rajeev in Kochi today.
IBM will also provide six months of full-time paid internships to B.Tech students of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) and Kerala Technical University (KTU). Minister Rajeev said the internship program will enable students to gain work experience of international standards during their studies.
“We are expecting to bring back a lot of IT professionals working abroad on different projects to Kochi once the expansion of the Kochi centre is completed,” IBM officials said. The move will also facilitate at least 10 global companies working closely with IBM to open centres in Kochi.
“Kochi will soon be a global centre for products that use artificial intelligence (AI) and data software,” Rajeev said. Currently, IBM recruits 200 to 300 people from Kerala every year.
Dinesh Nirmal said IBM has currently given 300 students an opportunity to work as paid interns. “IBM’s lab in Kochi is the fastest-growing centre in India. Over 1500 employees are working in the Kochi lab. IBM is moving into a larger office complex as part of its expansion,” he added. Industries Department Principal Secretary Suman Billa also attended the press conference.
