Global IT hub a signature away from Technopark

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While discussions are progressing for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up Nissan’s global IT hub, the automobile giant from Japan has made a call for hiring from Thiruvananthapuram area. The global IT hub is aimed at developing driverless vehicles and electric cars.
In two posts that appeared in Linkedin, Nissan has invited applications for the posts of products manager and user interface engineers for Thiruvananthapuram area.
The in-principle clearance for the proposal from both ends will be a happy ending to the six-months-long process to woe the auto-tech major to the state. CM Pinarayi Vijayan himself had invited the company offering personal monitoring of the setting up of Nissan unit here and all facilities required for testing new-age technologies.
IT secretary M Sivasankar said that things are getting ready and only decision on date for signing the MoU remains to be fixed. “The state and the Nissan have exchanged draft MoU. They have elaborated on their requirements and we informed them about our expectations. A final confirmation on date of signing of MoU has to arrive from Nissan,” he said.
Sources in the IT department said that Nissan would set up office initially at the main campus of Technopark and it has also sought land in the Technocity campus. The company is looking for space to set up an office for 2,000 to 3,000 employees. Though the count won’t be that high initially, Nissan has plans to strengthen the facility to that level based on the response.
A team of senior officials including IT secretary M Sivasankar, Kerala state innovation council chairman K M Abraham and Technopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair had visited Nissan headquarters in Japan in March. Following this a top-level delegation of Nissan, led by its global CIO Antony Thomas, had visited the state in the last week of March and held talks with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in charge of IT. Nissan had also considered places like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Bhubaneswar and Warangal for setting up the digital hub, but, has finally zeroed in on Thiruvananthapuram.
The proposed digital hub will be a research and development facility that will be shared by the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. The digital hub is poised to the biggest facility in Technopark. With its new focus on electric vehicles and use of AI and machine learning, the state has the potential to turn into the hub of e-vehicles in the country, sources said.
It is interesting to note the changes are happening at a time when a group of city residents are trending the topic ‘Move2Trivandrum’, a campaign exhorting people to start ventures and shift to the city and to be part of its growth.
Thomas, who became global CEO of Nissan in October last year, is an alumnus of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.
TOI’s attempt to get Nissan officials for confirming their entry didn’t succeed. Sources in the company said they wouldn’t like to comment as the formal MoU is yet be signed.