Indian outsourcing firm opens in Manchester

AN Indian outsourcing business has opened a Manchester office and plans to take on 30 staff over the next three years.

Mangalam Information Technologies, part of the Electrotherm group, has moved to the city with the help of Hello Northwest, a scheme backed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) which provides investors with free desk space for 12 months.

The company plans to target law and accounting firms and offer back office support to government departments and educational institutions.

Vice president Srinath Mitragotri said: “We decided to set up our base in Manchester because we find the overall business environment very amenable to a new business like ours. The people here have shown great warmth and a genuine desire to help, which was one of the key reason to come to the Northwest.

“Outside of UK, the general impression is that London is the only place for business in the UK, which is not true. The thriving business community and the overall ecosystem in Manchester are very conducive for business success.”

Mark Hughes, acting chief executive of the NWDA, said: “Our ‘Hello’ scheme continues to attract investors to the region and we are delighted with its early success. The latest company to take up the ‘Hello’ offer will allow businesses to operate at a much lower operational cost. In the current fragile market this could be enough to help some business survive and return to strong growth in the years ahead.”