AstraZeneca inaugurates global technology centre in Chennai

NEW DELHI: UK based drug firm AstraZeneca today inaugurated a new Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Chennai to develop its IT capability.

The establishment of a GTC in Chennai will help improve the IT organisation's efficiency and responsiveness while reducing costs and support 51,500 AstraZeneca employees worldwide, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

Commenting on the development, AstraZeneca Chief Information Officer David Smoley said: "The opening of the Global Technology Centre marks a key milestone in our journey to develop a world class IT function for AstraZeneca."

AstraZeneca has significantly invested in India based IT hub, both in terms of manpower and technology.

"The newly built centre will house in-house IT teams that will help grow our IT technology and operational excellence and provide support to global IT services for AstraZeneca," he added.

"The centre currently employs 60 people, with the aim of expanding this to approximately 300 in the first year. AstraZeneca has committed itself to the development of the region by employing locally and will outsource IT services only by exception," Smoley said.

The company is also looking to develop additional technology centres with a second GTC planned for San Francisco in 2015.