By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter
INDIAN COMPANIES are looking to further expand in the Philippines this year.
Biocare Lifesciences, Inc. Managing Director Dileep Tiwari, who also heads the Indian Business Forum, said the company already distributes affordable generic medicine to over 200 hospitals and drug stores in the country. The pharmaceutical distributor is planning to introduce 15 new products this year.
“In the next five years, Biocare is eyeing to set up a manufacturing facility in the Philippines to support the government’s plan… to boost manufacturing, generate employment and bring cutting-edge technology to the Philippines, which in large will lessen the import of crucial medicine,” Mr. Tiwari told BusinessWorld in a WhatsApp message.
Biocare currently has several partnerships with Philippine pharmaceutical companies, including Unilab, Inc. It also participates in government bidding to make critical care products available to indigent patients.
Datamatics Global Services Limited Country Head Praveer Chadha said the Philippines is one of the best markets to grow the customer management business.
He cited the country’s high level of education, proficiency in English, admirable work ethic, and ability to adapt to digital technologies.
“We have been working with various colleges to start employment-ready programs which will assist talents to be future ready,” Mr. Chadha told BusinessWorld in a WhatsApp message.
Datamatics, an information technology (IT) consulting company, recently inaugurated its third customer support center in Pasig City, which allows it to employ up to 3,000.
“We are actively scouting for acquisition or partnering opportunities which will enable us to bring more of our technology and service offerings to the Philippines,” Mr. Chadha said.
He identified five sectors as priorities: travel, transportation, hospitality, and logistics; retail, with focus on e-commerce; education; life sciences and healthcare; and financial technology.
“We intend to grow our base and set up more tech-enabled centers across the country by reaching out to second-tier (larger) cities and provinces,” he said. “Some of these show high, untapped potential when it comes to opportunities for CX (customer experience) transformation.”
For multinational IT services and consulting company HCL Technologies Limited Country Manager Sourabh Jha, the Philippines is a “strategic location” for its services.
“We wish to provide services to all modern emerging technology clusters like workplace engineering; unified communication and collaboration; and unified messaging and collaboration,” he said, citing as examples Microsoft Teams, Amazon Connect, Google Workplace, among others.
Mr. Jha said HCLTech is looking to further expand in the country.
“An already identified location is Bacolod and (it) will have a center in next quarter. We have recently invested in a new site in Manila,” he said.
HCLTech is also in talks with universities to provide training support in order to bridge the gap between education and the industry’s requirements.
“We plan to create 2,000 IT jobs this year in digital workplace space alone,” Mr. Jha said. “Our aim is to move the Philippines job landscape beyond call centers and make this country skilled with more IT related jobs.”
Meanwhile, Advanta Seeds Philippines and North East Asia Business Lead Siraj Ahemad said the global seed company is looking to expand operational areas in the Philippines and increase manpower.
“This year we are planning to expand our operational areas, especially on the southern part of Luzon, Visayas and the Mindanao area in which we have minimal operation and manpower,” Mr. Ahemad told BusinessWorld in a WhatsApp message.
At present, Advanta Seeds has 53 active direct distributors and 35 employees.
“We are planning to appoint more distributors to serve more dealers or financiers and more farmers to experience growing our products,” he added, noting the need to standardize operations.
Mr. Ahemad said the company’s main interest is “to serve smallholder farmers by providing them quality seeds and services that will help improve their lives.”
