At a time when global oil prices are falling and the energy sector is going through macro-economic challenges, global oil & gas company Shell on Wednesday (27 April) announced the launch of its information technology (IT) centre in Bengaluru. The centre is expected to recruit close to 1,000 professionals by the end of 2016 and several thousand by 2020.
About 900 offers have already been made for the IT centre. Shell’s total headcount in India stands at 4,300 employees spread across its Projects & Technology and IT Centres based in Bengaluru, as well as their Business Operations Centre in Chennai.
The Bengaluru facility will be Shell’s third IT centre with two others in Houston and Amsterdam. The centre delivers advanced oil and gas field studies, technical services, and R&D services for Shell globally.
As Shell’s expansion to India comes at a time when the energy sector is going through challenging times, Yasmine Hilton, Chairman, Shell Companies in India said they see huge opportunities amid these global challenges. “By 2020, Shell India is poised to grow to be the third largest company in the Shell group,” she said.
Commenting on the talent pool, Jay Crotts, Chief Information Officer, Shell said, “The talent in the Indian market is attractive for Shell’s operations at the global level. Shell and the future of energy are powered by IT and therefore this IT centre becomes an important strategic hub. IT contributes to the bottom line by unlocking business value through technology and innovation. Running our technology estate is a table-stake, something we have to deliver to a high-quality, consistently, day after day.”
Shell believes it supports the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India and Skill India by growing its largest IT delivery engine via the IT centre in Bengaluru. “Shell has had positive off-shoring experience in India, which has reinforced its belief in the availability of talent in this market,” the company said in a statement.
BW Reporters
Ayushman is an award-winning business and tech journalist based in Bangalore, with diverse experience in journalism across newspaper, magazine and news wire. He is the recipient of the 15th annual Polestar Award in Jury's category for excellence in journalism in 2013. He is also an NSE-certified capital market professional (NCCMP) and driven by his interest, he has also attended hands-on workshops on cloud computing to stay on top of technology journalism
