The Hindu Business Line : MS to scale up India operations

Mr Sanjay Mirchandani (Left), President, Asia Pacific Region, Microsoft, with Mr Ravi Venkatesan, new Chairman & General Manager, at a "Nasscom Leadership Forum 2004" press conference in Mumbai on Thursday. — Shashi Ashiwal

Mumbai , Feb. 5

ONE Microsoft. This is the new agenda for Microsoft as part of its long term business plans to make its global operations a more cohesive unit, with the Indian operation to play a significant role in this gambit.

Making this announcement on the sidelines of the ongoing Nasscom Leadership Forum 2004, the newly appointed Chairman and General Manager (CGM) of Microsoft India, Mr Ravi Venkatesan, said Microsoft India would be an integral part of Microsoft Corporation as "we move our business in India to the next level."

With four units as part of Microsoft India and a 900 strong employee base, the company plans to "keep increasing (headcount) as our business grows," Mr Rajiv Kaul, Managing Director of Microsoft India said.

According to Mr Venkatesan, Microsoft would continue to thrust on its localisation efforts with a commitment to localising its products for 14 Indian languages.

As the Indian subsidiary's new CGM, Mr Venkatesan would be responsible for the four distinct business units of Microsoft India, the sales and marketing subsidiary, the IT development centre and India Development Centre located at Hyderabad and the Global Support Centre in Bangalore.

He will report to Mr Sanjay Mirchandani, President-Asia Pacific, Microsoft from February 18. "We will form our internal strategy to grow the Indian business and move it to the next level over the next two months," added Mr Venkatesan.