TBG to set up second development centre in India

Ashu Kumar in New Delhi

US-based The Boston Group (TBG), a $60 million software company promoted by US-based NRI Sabba Kota, is setting up its second offshore software design and development center in India.

Boston Software Consulting India, the wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Group, plans to set up the center in Gurgaon. Speaking with The Financial Express, Boston Software country manager Vinod Kumar Samantula said, “The center will initially have around 30-40 engineers and is expected to be operational by the end of this year. It will primarily work on the company’s e-learning software product, Intralearn.”

TBG has decided to transfer the entire development of Intralearn to India. “Our existing offshore development center in Hyderabad has been engaged in developing the third version of Intralearn and with the new center, all further development and support activities for the product worldwide will be relocated in India,” said Mr Samantula.
Besides development activities, Boston is also marketing its software in Indian market. “We have already acquired around 6 clients including the government of Andhra Pradesh which has implemented Instalearn to impart training to unemployed youth through a job portal.”

Instalearn is developed on Microsoft technologies and supports 24 Indian languages, claimed Mr Samantala, adding that the company was now planning to approach all state governments to use the product for mass education in regional languages.

Instalearn is an online education enabling tool which helps companies set up Intranet and Internet education portals e-enabling all activities from admission to certification, said Mr Samantula. “We can set up a virtual campus in 48 working hours,” he claimed.

Apart from development, sales and implementation of its product In India, the Indian subsidiary also takes up software services projects and it has marketing offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Madras. The company plans to develop competencies in Oracle technologies in Delhi to roll out Oracle software services in the country, Mr Samantula said.

The Boston Group worldwide employs around 360 people. The company has technology partners like Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Computer Associates. Boston is also engaged in multimedia modelling for Nike, Samsung and Dell and most of these multimedia jobs are being executed at its India center, according to Mr Samantula.