MSR group to set up 250-seat call centre

The city-based M.S. Ramaiah business group with presence in education and health care, has consolidated its engineering services, software solutions and retail companies under one corporate identity. The engineering company of MSR formerly called John Brown Technologies, Valdel Engineers and Constructors, a 51:49 joint venture of MSR with US-based iStructure in which the latter held the majority stake, Amsoft Information services and its newly consolidated retail business Valdel Retail, will now be held under Valdel Group. Addressing a press meet here, managing director of Valdel Group, M.J.Shantharam said that Valdel Retail, has tied up with Malaysia-based Suiwah Corporation to open a shopping centre occupying an area of one lakh square feet on Kanakapura Road. The company will make an investment of Rs. 25 crore in the center, that will open towards the end of the year, he said on Tuesday. The centre, with a projected revenue of Rs. 100 crore by 2005, will source products from South East Asia, he added. Valdel Group will also export products through the overseas centres of Suiwah.

Mr. Shantharaam said that the group will also open a 250 seat call centre that will focus on telecom, financial services and retail verticals with a first phase investment outlay of Rs. 10 crore.

The group has projected revenue of Rs. 50 crore for the engineering and constructions company, while for Amsoft, the projected revenue is Rs. 20 crore by 2005. Valdel E & C and Amsoft currently have a consolidated revenue of Rs. 25 crore, he said. The BPO and retail business has a current capital base of Rs. 5 crore, which the outlay is estimated to be Rs. 35 crore. The MSR group, that runs colleges and hospitals in the city also intends to open a Rs. 80 crore hospital, chairman of M.S.Ramaiah institutions, M.R. Jayaram said. MSR group currently has a net worth of $ 150 million.