HCL Tech to invest $150 mn

NEW DELHI: HCL Technologies, the country's fifth-biggest software exporter, will invest about $150 million (Rs 600 crore) this fiscal on capital expenditure and hire nearly 25,000 employees for business expansion.

"We will have a capital expenditure of $150 million in 2007-08. Last year, we had a capex of $90 million," HCL Technologies president Vineet Nayar said.

"We plan to take a net of 12,000 employees in the year. The gross hiring will be 25,000 employees," he said, adding the recruitment would be for both IT services and BPO.

In 2006-07, the company added 9,400 people, taking the total employee base to 42,000 people.

The company's Noida special economic zone, which would eventually house 18,000 professionals, will be operational before the end of the calender year and will start with about 2,000 people. The company is also setting up SEZs in Bangalore, Chennai and Nagpur.

The company added eight new clients during the quarter, including film and camera maker Konica Minolta Holdings Inc and New Zealand's biggest company and dairy exporter Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd. Aeronautics, financial services, telecom, lifesciences and media verticals boosted growth during the quarter.