CHENNAI: US logistics major UPS has opened a technological centre spreading over 51,000 sq.ft. in Chennai on Monday, inline with the company’s ambitions to grow in the domestic logistics market.
Speaking to this newspaper, Bala Subramanian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital officer at UPS, said the company will function as a key technology centre that will manage logistics operational technology and will develop IT solutions for its global operations in sync with two other global IT centers of the company in Europe and in the US.
It is not an outsourcing model but a global development model, focusing on improving efficiency, he added. Dr Subramani Ramakrishan, Vice president for UPS Technology Centres and heading India operations said despite the availability of IT talent, they find a talent gap for people with logistics domain expertise. UPS plans to collaborate with state agencies and academic institutions to develop curriculum to bridge the gap. Subramanian said they would hire at least 30% women.
The company plans to hire 400 people by the end of the year and hire 1000 people in three years. The company also has announced its decision to invest up to 20 million US dollarwithin 2025, which includes real-estate, hiring and creating digital infrastructures. Sriperumbudur near the city, located at the Chennai - Bengaluru national highways is developing as a logistics hub with port and road connectivity.
The corridor is thriving with automobile and electronic manufacturing clusters and logistics and warehousing spaces. The Union government has proposed to develop a multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) at Mappedu near Chennai. This newspaper learnt that these have tipped UPS’s decision towards Tamil Nadu. However the company didn’t reveal any details regarding this. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the premises.
To hire at least 30% women in workfore
Bala Subramanian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital officer at UPS said it will function as a key technology center that will manage logistics operational technology and will develop IT solutions for its global operations in sync with two other global IT centers of the company in Europe and in the US. It is not an outsourcing model but a global development model, focusing on improving efficiency, he added. Subramanian said they would hire at least 30% women