Onward Technologies, a Mumbai-based engineering design services and IT services provider, is planning to venture into UK and enhance its onshore presence in the US, a top company official has said.

This is part of the BSE-listed company's strategy to win more engineering-related orders by leveraging local talent pool and capabilities in important markets.

New US office

The company is looking at opening a new office in Detroit, Michigan and is in the process of finalising plans for other ‘mid-west locations' for fiscal 2012-13, Mr Harish Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, told Business Line in a recent interaction.

“Our plan is to invest in building local capabilities in the US. Our strategy is to build local client relationship management, delivery and execution teams. Currently, 30 per cent of our staff is local US nationals and we are seeing this increasing on a yearly level,” he said.

Onward provides services such as product design, engineering analysis and engineering maintenance for clients in sectors such as aerospace, automotives, infrastructure among others.

In North America, the company currently has its engineering design services head office in Chicago. It is all geared up for further geographical expansion with UK too on its radar for fiscal 2012-13.

“Each of these geographical locations/ countries is currently driven by the India team. With the new structure, we will have management/sales and execution teams in each of these office locations which will help cater to our client base,” said Mr Mehta.

Onward, which currently employs 1,650 persons, has already recruited 150 mechanical engineers during the first half of the current year. It now plans to add another 200 mechanical engineers, taking the total headcount for the year to 350, he said.

comment COMMENT NOW