New York, Apr 25: Tata Consultancy services will open an "automotive centre of excellence" in Detroit, from where it will provide information technology, manufacturing and engineering consulting and services to its roster of North American automotive customers. The centre will be fully functional within the next two months and TCS is planning to hire 50 local automotive professionals in the next 12 to 18 months to augment its automotive specialists currently residing in Detroit, the company said.

TCS executives cite the move as a key development in the expansion of the firm's global delivery model. "The establishment of this centre of excellence demonstrates our commitment to the people of Detroit, and we embrace the opportunity to extend our contribution to the local economy," said Arup Gupta, president of TCS America. "Strengthening our local position is critical to meeting the demands of our Detroit-based clientele, and an automotive centre of excellence will provide integrated engineering and industrial services to our automotive customers in the region," he added.

TCS counts the Detroit based automotive Oems, Ford, General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler among its customers, as well as several of the automotive industry's leading tier-one suppliers, including Johnson Controls and Eaton.

Bureau Report