Synechron, Credit Suisse to ramp up India IT teams; HCL to hire 1,000 for UK operations

With digitisation now a priority across sectors, especially in the wake of the pandemic, hiring across the information technology (IT) services spectrum is on an upsurge.  

Synechron, the New York based digital transformation consulting firm, will recruit up to 2,000 people in India for lateral positions this financial year. Zurich based financial services form Credit Suisse will create 1,000 IT jobs here this year. And, Delhi based HCL Technologies is adding 1,000 people in its UK operations, in addition to hiring plans for India. 

Synechron’s recruitment drive for India will cover its operations in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai, the company said in a statement. Additionally, it will fill up open positions across the US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. 

“We are witnessing huge growth in India this year specifically in digital transformation initiatives across various BFSI (banking and financial services) clients. Although our focus is to hire people with strong domain knowledge, we will still be looking at dedicated professionals in the range of 4 to 10 years of relevant experience,” the company’s managing director and delivery head India Hareesha Pattaje said. 

The company is looking to onboard skills such as Java full stack, cloud and DevOps, data engineers, UI/UX specialists, automation engineers, agile coaches and business analysts, Pattaje added. 

The company grew its global operations centers to 22 this year from 18 in 2020. Out of the 10,000-plus people that it employs globally, an estimated 5,000-plus are currently based in India. 

“Our work involves cloud enablement, platform modernization, API implementation, microservices, automation, data engineering, data analytics and visualization, among others. We are looking at tapping experienced talent with an engineering mindset… who are experts in AI-ML, data science and RPA, who can become a part of our FinLabs,” he said. 

Synechron works with banks, asset managers and insurance companies around the world, offering digital, consulting and technology capabilities in wholesale banking, wealth management, and insurance as well as emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and data science.  

Credit Suisse, which has hired 2,000 IT employees for India over the last three years as part of its growth strategy for this market, will add at least 1,000 more people this year.  

The new hires will comprise of developers and engineers who have capabilities in emerging technologies such as cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud, API development, machine learning and artificial intelligence that are anchored in Agile and DevOps delivery methods, to support the bank’s digital aspirations, according to a statement. 

The firm aims to establish India as a center for technology innovation across the bank globally and leverage the skilled technology talent available in the country to further enhance its in-house core capabilities.  

India, the statement added, now accounts for nearly 25% of the bank’s global IT staff, the largest footprint for any Credit Suisse location globally.

“This year’s hiring plan highlights our continued commitment to India, particularly to Maharashtra, and supports Credit Suisse’s vision to establish our operations here as a global technological hub. To support the growth of our IT presence in India, we believe empowering our employees to lead global delivery and drive innovative solutions enhances value creation and productivity for the bank globally,” John Burns, head India IT and senior franchise officer, Pune, said. 

Meanwhile, HCL Technologies, will add 1,000 technology professionals in the UK in the fields of digital transformation, cloud, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity for its London, Greater London and Manchester offices, according to a statement. 

Recently, homegrown IT services firms Mphasis, Infosys and Wipro also outlined hiring plans to boost their UK operations. While Mphasis will create nearly 1,000 jobs at a nearshore facility just outside London, Wipro will add 1,300 jobs to its rolls following the recent acquisition of London based Capco. Infosys will hire 1,000 employees for its UK offices over the next three years in the areas of cloud computing, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, open source technologies and enterprise services to cater to the demand for digital transformation. 

HCL has had a presence in the UK since 1997 and employs over 3,500 people across various locations in the country, supporting more than 50 clients. The new planned hires aims to support its clients in the UK and other markets. 

The announcement was made at a virtual meeting between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and HCL CEO C Vijayakumar and senior corporate vice president Ashish Kumar Gupta. The meeting was part of Johnson’s virtual tour to create stronger business ties between the UK and India. 

“The UK has played a key role in HCL’s growth and success journey for more than two decades. It is home to some of our most prestigious clients and is a hotbed of IT talent. By creating new local jobs in the region, we want to reaffirm our commitment to catalyzing innovation and building competitive digital talent pools in the region,” Vijayakumar said. 

In March, HCL opened an innovation centre focused on digital acceleration in Mississauga, Ontario.  

The company said it plans to create 2,000 new employment opportunities in Canada in the next three years. In February, it announced a plan to hire 1,000 employees for its campus at MIHAN (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport) in Nagpur.