Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurates Deloitte centre in Bhubaneswar

Leading global professional services firm Deloitte established its footprint in Odisha with the inauguration of its capability enhancement centre (CEC) at ICOMC Tower in Bhubaneswar, according to a statement of the Chief Minister's Office.

The opening of Deloitte's centre in Bhubaneswar will provide further impetus to the state's economy and create significant high-end employment opportunities for the youth, according to the CMO statement.

Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha's Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Sports, and Youth TK Behera were also present at the event.

The firm reported a record aggregate global revenue of USD 59.3 billion for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022, and Indian professionals alone constitute 100,000 of its multidisciplinary global workforce of 430,000, spread across 150 countries, according to the statement.

Deloitte has also committed to impact lives of 50 million individuals in India, especially women and girls, through investments in education and skill-building, according to the statement.

With this inauguration, the statement said Bhubaneswar became the fourth Indian city after Thane-Mumbai, Gurugram and Coimbatore to have Deloitte's CEC, the company's flagship office which delivers outstanding value through adoption of best practices, usage of latest technologies, and deployment of a diverse and skilled workforce. The CEC in Bhubaneswar will expand to 1,500 professionals over 18 months and focus on areas such as analytics, artificial intelligence, digitalization, machine learning, cloud, and cyber security.

Wishing that the company grows by leaps and bounds and enhances employment opportunities for the state's youth in IT, the chief minister said, "We will support Deloitte's expansion and plans for the state through all possible means."

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his address said, "Development of Eastern India is the pre-requisite for a developed India. Deloitte's centre will act as a role model for other major companies to also establish their centres in the state."

State IT Minister TK Behera said, "Bhubaneswar is already eastern India's preeminent IT Hub and Deloitte's presence will further increase the state's capabilities in IT sector."

Lauding the speed and responsiveness of state government officials and institutions, Romal Shetty, CEO-Designate of Deloitte, said, "In Odisha, we feel like a part of a family because of the professionalism and warmth with which we have been received in the state. Odisha is central to our plans and Deloitte will considerably expand the scope of its operations in the state." (ANI)