Infosys to create 1,200 jobs in Australia, to set up 3 innovation hubs

IT services firm Infosys Wednesday said it will set up three innovation hubs in Australia and create 1,200 jobs in the country by 2020. The Bengaluru-based company is already setting up similar hubs in the US - its largest market - and expects to hire 10,000 local workers by 2019.

"The creation of 1,200 IT jobs in Australia by 2020, of which around 40 per cent will be Australian university graduates from a range of fields including computer science and design," Infosys said in a statement.

It added that the new innovation hubs will serve as a platform to enable Infosys to co-create and co-innovate alongside clients, academia and government to accelerate innovation and upskilling of talent in emerging technologies and solutions. No investment details were disclosed.

Infosys said this approach provides the company with a strong foundation to meet rising demand for expertise in areas like machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), user experience, cyber security, digital platforms, big data and cloud.

"Today marks an important milestone for our company in our 20 year journey in Australia," Pravin Rao, Chief Operating Officer at Infosys, said.

As a key technology partner of Australian business, Infosys is proud to announce its commitment to accelerating digital skills in the region through the creation of 1,200 skilled jobs, the development of our new innovation hubs and deepening partnerships with academia, he added.

Infosys, like many of its peers, has been ramping local hiring in key markets like the US, the UK and Australia to tackle increasing scrutiny around work visas by various governments.

This is also part of Infosys' three-pronged strategy of focussing on stabilising the company's business in 2018-19, build momentum next year, followed by acceleration in 2020-21.

Infosys said it has recruited 75 graduates, and more than half have completed their induction training and are ready to be placed on strategic client projects. "Under this programme, graduates start their Infosys learning journey in our Sydney and Melbourne training centres. They can choose from high demand areas, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, user experience, cyber security, cloud and big data," Infosys Senior Vice President for Australia and New Zealand Andrew Groth said.

So far, Infosys has opened two technology and innovation hubs, one in Indianapolis, Indiana and another in Raleigh, North Carolina in the US.

Infosys has also announced setting up of more such hubs in Hartford, Connecticut and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as a unique design and innovation hub in Providence, Rhode Island.

Of its stated target of 10,000 local workers, Infosys has hired over 6,200 American workers since May 2017 in the US.