NIIT to set up training hub in China

New Delhi, Jun 20 (UNI) Software training company NIIT today said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese real estate developer Shui On to set up training operations at its upcoming Dalian Tiandi Software Hub.

NIIT will open its first centre at the Dalian software hub in August.

''China is very strong in the manufacturing sector and aims to go up the value chain and develop its software and services sector as well. Its physical infrastructure is well developed but to grow as a knowledge economy, it needs to develop its human infrastructure,'' NIIT CEO Vijay K Thadani said in a statement.

NIIT already has a presence in China with 172 locations in 65 cities with about 50,000 students graduating from NIIT centres in China every year.

The Hub is also expected to get investment from several Indian IT companies. The companies as well as professionals working in this hub would get several tax incentives from the Chinese government, including income tax rebates for individuals working there.

''There is a huge gap between the IT industry demand and the talent supply. Keeping this situation in view, we have a training institute in Shanghai for NIIT trainers that in-turn teach students.

By 2011, NIIT would have over 70,000 graduates in China, which would outnumber the IT students graduating from all the Chinese educational institutions put together,'' he said.

NIIT has a special module of English running parallel with IT training. The company intends to introduce courses at Chinese colleges and universities even as it plans more centres in the western part of the country.

UNI SR AK BST1418