Infosys has formed a joint venture with Hitachi, Panasonic Corporation and Pasona to strengthen its presence in the Japanese market. As part of the agreement, Infosys will acquire 81 per cent of the shareholding in Hitachi Procurement Service Co, Hitachi’s fully owned subsidiary.

Hitachi, Panasonic and Pasona will be minority shareholders of the entity. Consideration for 81 per cent stake, subject to closing adjustments, is ¥2,762 million (approx Rs 174.58 crore).

“As part of the transaction, Infosys Consulting Pte. Ltd. will acquire an 81 per cent stake in HIPUS from Hitachi by way of an acquisition of existing shares,” Infosys said in a regulatory filing today.

Hitachi will transfer 2 per cent each to Panasonic and Pasona, and will hold the remaining 15 per cent. The transaction is expected to close by April 1, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

“The transaction is in alignment with Infosys’ strategy to strengthen its presence in Japan and invest in local capabilities to serve the local and global needs of Japanese corporations,” the filing said.

Hitachi Procurement currently handles indirect materials purchasing functions for the Hitachi Group.

“...iconic companies coming together, will accelerate business process transformation leveraging digital procurement platforms for the local and global needs of Japanese corporations,” a company statement said.

Infosys will bring its expertise in procurement processes, consulting, analytics and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to the venture.

Combined with Hitachi and Panasonic’s knowledge of their procurement functions and local teams, and Pasona’s human capital and BPM networks in Japan, the entity will provide differentiated, end-to-end, efficient and high value procurement capabilities to corporations, the statement said.

“This joint venture will help Japanese corporations transform their procurement processes using next-generation digital platforms, as we bring together the combined power of deep procurement expertise, technology, global expertise and local skills,” Infosys President Ravi Kumar said.

Infosys Executive Vice President and Head (Corporate Strategy) Deepak Padaki said Japan is a strategic market for the company.

“This transaction is a significant demonstration of our commitment to building a local presence in the region in order to partner with our Japanese clients and accelerate their digital journey,” he added.

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