KOCHI: When SmartCity Kochi was inaugurated last month, the big announcement was eclipsed by the fact that there were no recognisable IT firms in the first list of companies that are setting up offices in the 6.5 lakh sq.ft IT Tower. While only Thiruvananthapuram-based IBS is the only familiar name in SmartCity Kochi, there are several big, medium and small IT/BPO firms that function in Kochi, outside SmartCity and Infopark. The companies get tax benefits on their export earnings, irrespective of whether the company is working within a software park or outside. Kochi Express looks at some of the IT firms employing software engineers and BPO employees in the city outside SmartCity Kochi and Infopark.
BEO Software, Palarivattom
The company is part of BEO GmbH headquartered in Endingen near The Blackforest, Germany. It employs over 150 people and plans to grow to 250 people by the end of this year. It has processed export applications with German Customs for about Rs 1,050 crore in 2014. BEO-KIZ, a product developed by the techies at its Kochi centre, won the award for the ‘Best Innovative Industrial Prize’ in Germany in 2013.
ZH Healthcare
ZH Healthcare connects a patient with their doctors, hospitals, diagnostic centres, NGOs and labs, holds the patient’s medical records and aggregates them in one place to provide a longitudinal lifetime medical record. It has office at Palarivattom and employees 120 people. It is part of the US-based group.
NeST Information Technologies
The company is a NeST Group Company, an International Corporate group, of over 25 companies employing more than 3,500 people worldwide. It has a global export business turnover in excess of $ 200 million. NeST Technologies has many hardware and software facilities spread across Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Bengaluru and Mysuru in India and in the USA. Last week, it announced plans to move into Infopark, Kakkanad, as part of its expansion plan.
Eben Telecom
The company is located in Kaloor and operates as a BPO for telecom companies such as Idea, Airtel, MTS and automobile dealer Popular Vehicles. The company employs about 300 people.
Muthoot Technopolis
It is an Information Technology park at Kakkanad. It has a built-up space of 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) which has been fully occupied by Cognizant, Williams Lea and Sutherland Global Services. It is a plot in Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). Muthoot Pappachan Group is planning an expansion in Kochi with phase II of the project and further developments in the vicinity. Muthoot also runs the Muthoot Ceramics, which is behind the Muthoot Technopolis in Cochin Special Economic Zone, though CSEZ area is separated with Technopolis by a wall.
Teknowmics Knowledge Solutions
The company founded by a Keralite, has offices in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Its 35-member R&D centre is located on Airport-Seaport Road, Kakkanad. The product is mainly aimed at the Japanese markets.
Small fries in SmartCity Kochi
1. Fresh Fast Foods Pvt Ltd (Subway)
2. IHITS Technologies Pvt Ltd
3. Dynamicnext Technologies Pvt Ltd
4. Vtrio Solutions Pvt Ltd
5. Singnet Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
6. Exza Software Services Pvt Ltd
7. Logiticks Techno Labs LLP
8. Sai BPO Services Ltd
9. Musthafa & Almana
10. 7 Nodes Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd
11. TKM Infotech Pvt Ltd
12. Ndimensionz Solutions Pvt Ltd
13. Mariapps Marine Solutions Private Ltd
14. DRD Communications & Software Pvt Ltd
15. Path Solutions India Pvt Ltd
16. AgriGenome Labs Pvt Ltd
17. Litmus7 Systems Consulting Pvt Ltd