Information technology services provider HCL Technologies announced the commencement of its operations in Sri Lanka.

The Noida-headquartered firm aims to create over 1,500 new local employment opportunities for both freshers and experienced professionals, within the first 18 months of kick-starting its operations from its office in the national capital Colombo.

A key part of HCL’s business development strategy in Sri Lanka will be to use the local talent pool for global assignments, according to its exchange filing.

HCL Tech joined hands with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka in February 2020 to launch its local entity— HCL Technologies Lanka (Private) Limited and set up its first delivery centre in the region. Through this entity, HCL will provide services to global clients in the areas of Applications & System Integration Services and Infrastructure Services.

“We are very excited as our operations have already started in the region and are looking forward to hiring and engaging with the highly skilled and talented people of Sri Lanka while bringing them the opportunity of working with a global technology company, at their door-step without having them to move out of their own country," said Srimathi Shivashankar, corporate vice president of HCL Tech. "Our delivery centre in Sri Lanka will play an important role to serve our Fortune 500 and Global 2000 clients and partners throughout the globe," she added.

"This is a significant step in the direction of the vision HCL has set out for building its global delivery centre in Sri Lanka. I'm hopeful HCL will be able to create employment opportunities for the people of the country and people of Sri Lanka will have access to global work environment right in their own country," said Susantha Ratnayake, Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka.

In the March quarter, India’s third-largest IT services firm’s earnings growth exceeded that of its peers, and HCL Tech said it did not see a long-term impact from the Covid-19 pandemic.