India’s HCL eyes Eastern province for major IT facility

Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman with senior HCL executives

• To establish 5,000-seat facility becoming the largest investor in Sri Lanka’s IT sector

India’s HCL Technologies (HCL), a leading global technology company, which already has a strong presence in Sri Lanka, is exploring the possibilities to expand its operations to the country’s Eastern province, becoming the largest investor in the island nation’s IT sector.

A media statement issued by the office of Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman said, during the Governor’s recent visit to India, he met with senior executives of HCL Ltd. in New Delhi.
“The discussions focused on opening up a gateway for a 5000-seat facility for Sri Lankan IT talents. The governor’s proposal received an overwhelming positive response from HCL, reinforcing their commitment to expanding their operations in Sri Lanka,” the statement said.

“As a result of the productive discussions, HCL Ltd. is expected to sign an agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) on the approval of Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody who has also played a supportive role in Sri Lanka to establish this state-of-the-art facility. 
This landmark initiative undertaken by Governor Senthil Thondaman will generate employment opportunities for 5, 000 IT engineers across Sri Lanka, making it the largest investment in the IT sector in the country’s history,”
it added.

“This partnership with HCL Ltd. will pave the way for significant growth in the IT sector and create a multitude of employment opportunities for our talented IT professionals. We are delighted to have HCL’s support in our mission to position Sri Lanka as a leading IT hub in the region,” Governor Thondaman was quoted as saying.

HCL entered Sri Lanka in 2020 with the aim of making it a global technology and IT services delivery hub for some of the largest corporations in the world. HCL is the anchor tenant at Cinnamon Life, a project by
John Keells. 
HCL intends to occupy 80 percent of ‘The Offices’ at Cinnamon life, and the technology company has taken up 10 floors at present and will occupy 10 floors at a later stage so that it can accommodate 4,000 employees.