Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest software firm, said Thursday the company had been selected to set up a joint venture in China in association with Microsoft and select Chinese technology corporations.


Under the agreement, TCS, Microsoft, Beijing Zhongguancun Software Park Development, Uniware and Tianjin Huayuan Software Park Construction would establish a joint venture to provide IT outsourcing services.

The proposed joint venture will offer technology solutions to global as well as Chinese markets, said a TCS statement issued here.

The joint venture, to be located in Beijing's Zhongguancun Software Park, plans to start operation early next year and it will provide outsourcing services to all major markets such as US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

The collaborators said the joint venture aimed to build a role model for the growing Chinese software industry. It will leverage the complimentary strengths of investing parties in technology, software development management and talent raining, the statement said.

"TCS is committed to this initiative and this venture will be integrated into our pioneering global delivery model," said S. Ramadorai, chief executive officer and managing director of TCS.

TCS, an arm of India's diversified conglomerate Tata Group, will be the majority shareholder while Microsoft and the Chinese parties will be strategic investors holding minority shares.

"We see our government and industry partners as vital to our success in the world's fastest growing economy," said Tim Chen, vice president and chief executive officer (Greater China region) of Microsoft Corp.

"We are fully committed to this partnership and look forward to partnering and growing together with the Chinese software industry," he added.

TCS has been operating in China since 2002 and delivering services and solutions to its global, regional, and domestic customers from its Global Delivery Centre at Hangzhou with the help of some 250 engineers.