Wipro's strategy: Innovation push, global hiring

Paul: We didn't agree with the characterizations in the BusinessWeek article. Wipro has always been based out of India. Wipro entered the technology space as a hardware vendor serving the global market. It converted into an outsourcer serving the Indian market and then the global market. But we're still one of the largest players in the domestic market. This year, we'll have $800 [million] to $900 million in outsourcing revenue from India. Wipro does non-IT work in India in the consumer care area. Wipro is very committed to the Indian market and we're hugely present in infrastructure, IT services and consulting.

How is Wipro dealing with the H-1B issue, practically in terms of getting visas, and politically

Paul: The visa situation has been an issue for many years. We're dealing with it now by doing more localization [i.e., hiring more domestic workers in their host countries]. We've done some of that in Europe, where 25 percent of the staff is local. In Japan and Finland, 90 percent of the staff is local. The trend is definitely toward more localization.

Isn't it much more expensive for you to, say, hire a U.S. professional in Atlanta than bring someone over on a visa

Paul: It can be more expensive, but it depends on what work you're doing. Clients are willing to pay a higher rate for the kind of work that is done onsite. It's not just about salaries. If you add in relocation costs, it can even out. With most of our new centers, they will be primarily local staffs. Atlanta will be entirely localized. We're looking for seasoned professionals who have done consulting work. We're looking for defense industry veterans because they are highly qualified and have a great work ethic. We're also recruiting from local universities.