Canada-based software major SOTI has chosen to turn Kochi into its South Indian headquarters.
The 18,000 sq.ft state-of-the-art office is set to turn operational at the SmartCity Kochi campus at Kakkanad, Ernakulam by September, a report by The Hindu said.
SOTI has already recruited 80 people from over 8,000 students in 200 colleges. The test for another round of campus recruitment drive will be held on August 5.
The company offers high-end technology solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of business-critical mobility and the Internet of Things.
It boasts of a clientele of over 17,000 major enterprises from diverse fields ranging from aviation to telecommunications.
“We chose the city as our South Indian hub for three reasons—exceptional talent pool, superior infrastructure, and low attrition rate. Kerala has an attrition rate of less than 10% compared to the industry average of over 20%,” SOTI Vice President Joseph Samuel said.
SOTI is planning to expand to more South Indian States by anchoring in Kochi, the company said.
It also offers a unique six-month internship programme to students with a stipend of 25,000 rupees per month. The same test is conducted for both job applicants and potential internees.
“Candidates have the option to choose between internship or employment. After the internship period, it will be converted into a full-time employment and the aspirants will get the rare opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects,” Samuel said.
SOTI offers freshers a starting pay package of 700,000 rupees per annum.
While declining to divulge investment plans, Samuel said SOTI was fully committed to make more investments and do more recruitment.
“We are here to stay and our investments are way ahead of our present requirements. We go for the cream de la crème of talents since our company is into superior technology that manages the mission critical operations of our global clientele. Candidates with good coding skills, who thinks critically and analyse logically, are the ones whom we are looking for,” Samuel said.
He was full of praise for the support the company received from the SmartCity Kochi authorities since the process was set in motion in 2019.
As all the requirements were met by the SmartCity Kochi authorities, the company did not have to deal with the bureaucracy at any stage. Samuel, however, said that the company had been a beneficiary of the private-public collaboration behind SmartCity Kochi, in which the government had a stake.
