Ariba goes to India...

Filed in archive Global Economy on September 18, 2004

Source: http://www.reiworld.com


Literally - the company announced to double the Indian headcount - don't hold your breath these would be 160 people only.

"US e-commerce software company Ariba Inc said on Friday it planned to double the headcount in its Indian software centre to 160 workers by the end of 2005."

More interesting is the next part of the article in the Hindustan Times:

"David McCormick, the president of the company that acquired electronic procurement firm FreeMarkets Inc this year, said the growth was driven by India's supplier base for global customers, its tech workers and a local market for Ariba's software. ... Company officials said India had Ariba's second largest work-force outside the United States, where it has 1,000 employees. It currently has 40 commercial staff at Gurgaon near New Delhi in addition to an 80-strong Bangalore team that develops or supports software."

I always wondered (just opposite to our office building in Gurgaon) what the 40 people at Freemarkets (Ariba aquired Freemarkets, see below) did all the time. While it's true that India is building up a stronger manufacturing business, it's no match with China's dominance, so what did these 40 guys? Programming nah, we never saw an ad in local newspapers. Now I know they have sold procurement solutions to Indian companies :-)