HCLTech, a leading global technology company based in India, employs more than 220,000 people across 60 countries – offering a broad portfolio of technology services and products to clients across all major verticals. It delivers industry-leading capabilities centered on digital, engineering, cloud and AI. And it’s expanding its footprint in New Jersey.

Last June, HCLTech opened its new East Coast headquarters in East Brunswick at One Tower Center, centrally located along the New Jersey Turnpike. While the company has had a presence here for many years, the hub marked the next phase of its evolution and growth in the state.

“The offices will offer all of the post-COVID features of modern workspaces that will encourage our people to want to work from the office,” said Jill Kouri, chief marketing officer, in a June 2024 announcement for the opening of the East Brunswick hub, as well as a West Coast office in Santa Clara, Calif. “Both locations will feature HCLTech’s Customer Experience Center (CEC) showcasing the best of company’s innovations and capabilities, including our immensely popular AI and Cloud Native Labs,” the company said.

“The inauguration of HCLTech’s East Coast headquarters in New Jersey is a testament to our 2019 economic mission to India,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “We’re thrilled that it has resulted in the expansion of their New Jersey footprint, underscoring the growing preference innovative enterprises have for making New Jersey home to their strategic hubs. With its cutting-edge office now established in our state’s nucleus, this fast-growing tech trailblazer, specializing in GenAI, Cloud, and other emerging technologies – will undoubtedly make significant contributions to, and reap rewards from, our dynamic innovation ecosystem and the AI moonshot we have launched.”

Before that major move, the company further raised its visibility in the state in 2022 – becoming an Official Cornerstone Partner of MetLife Stadium and the official digital transformation partner of the New York Giants, New York Jets and MetLife Stadium. That partnership includes prominent signage for HCLTech and a variety of enhanced guest experiences aimed at making MetLife Stadium the most technologically advanced venue in the country.

“Fostering digital transformation and advancement is a critical component of our mission to supercharge progress,” said C Vijayakumar, CEO and managing director, HCLTech, in the 2022 announcement. “Our partnership with MetLife Stadium, alongside the Jets and Giants, represents an incredible opportunity for HCLTech to help them reimagine fan engagement and create digital experiences on a massive scale. Taking on the role of official digital transformation partner for MetLife Stadium, we are excited to enable MetLife Stadium to execute on their mission and look forward to driving a sports and entertainment experience for the digital age.”

“HCLTech brings a deep level of knowledge and understanding when it comes to building an effective digital experience,” said Ron VanDeVeen, president and CEO of MetLife Stadium. “In selecting a technology partner, HCLTech was a clear choice for us to help MetLife Stadium stand out as a leader in fan experience well into the future.”

“We are excited to welcome HCLTech as an Official Cornerstone Partner of MetLife Stadium,” said John Mara, president and CEO of the Giants. “Enhancing the fan experience is a top priority. Our partnership with HCLTech will allow us to further develop and leverage innovative engagement opportunities at every event.”

Earlier this month, HCLTech, which was founded in 1976, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its initial public offering (Jan. 11, 2000) with a special bell ringing ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai.

During that time, the company become one of the largest India-headquartered global companies – with revenue growing from $166 million in that year to $13.8 billion in 2024; and from 3,000 employees to over 220,000 people.

“HCLTech has evolved into one of the finest global companies of India with world class corporate governance, sustainability, and social responsibility at its core as envisioned by our Founder Shiv Nadar,” said Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson, HCLTech, in a Jan. 17 statement. “With our differentiated portfolio and core DNA of engineering and innovation – we are well positioned to continue bringing together the best of technology and our people to supercharge the progress.”

“This is a special milestone in our exciting growth journey,” said Vijayakumar.

An inviting space

Just before the calendar flipped to 2025, NJBIZ met with two top HCLTech officials at the company’s gleaming, state-of-the-art office in East Brunswick to discuss some of the happenings at the company, growth in the Garden State, what’s on the horizon – and more.

Those officials included Ramachandran Sundararajan, chief people officer; and Shrikanth Shetty, chief growth officer, Life Sciences and Healthcare Industries.

Sundararajan, who has been with the company for two decades, explained why the process was exciting.

“First things first – the work started to get this type of a facility up-and-running when we were just coming off the COVID lockdown,” he said. “Most of our folks were still remote working at that point in time, including me. Many of us were sort of eagerly waiting to get back to an office setup. And there comes this facility for us to get back to the normal ways of working pre-COVID. To that extent, this was something that everybody was looking forward to – and it’s quite exciting.”

He stressed how it is a new facility with an inviting atmosphere and infrastructure. “That was one of the important considerations for us,” Sundararajan explained. “It’s not that we have not had good office spaces before. But it was a rather traditional setup. Now, for us to excite people to come back after almost two years of getting into a rhythm of being remote, we need something which is a lot more inviting than just providing an office space. And this facility provides all of that.”

That was evident with the different types of workspaces and the open format and floor plan, which offers employees comfort and flexibility.

“It takes into account the realities of a number of things that we go through as a business,” he continued. “For a start, most people who operate out of this office will have a role which will have to connect with people cutting across time zones. Which means you’re on calls. Sometimes you need to be able to connect with the teams by looking at who you’re speaking to on the other end. So, we need facilities with video capability – and we have several of them.”

There are also telephone booths if you need to have a quiet conversation with one or two other individuals.

“Even though you may or may not have an executive office, the idea is to have an open plan,” said Sundararajan. “And we generally believe in working across hierarchy – and the open plan helps. When you are sitting in an open plan, and you need to be talking over the phone – or doing a video call, you need quiet space. We need to balance between the two. And this office, I think, provides that balance in the best possible way.”

He noted the advantages of being in New Jersey – and, particularly, the central location of the East Brunswick hub.

“The advantage for us is this – we service a number of customers, most of them are Fortune 100, Fortune 500 customers,” said Sundararajan. “Whether it is financial services; whether it is life sciences – we are right in the middle. Or whether it is high-tech manufacturing – or is it traditional manufacturing? We are sort of equidistant to addressing many of our customers. Whether you want to go to the New York Financial District or you want to head to the Life Sciences hub or to Connecticut, or to Philly. I think we are sort of right in the middle – and that connectivity, that reach is very good for us.”

Shetty described the integration into the East Brunswick space as supercharging the company’s office space. “And while everyone was kind of just downscaling, we said – let’s set up a larger office. We have a large employee base here,” he told NJBIZ, then echoing his colleague about the proximity to clients. “Some of our largest customers are in this area as well.”

Don’t believe the hype (cycle)

He explained that another part of the strategy with how the company goes to market with clients is to highlight certain aspects of the business – pointing to the office space, the labs and other key features.

“A lot of that effort is also so we can have showcases here,” said Shetty. “We can invite our prospects, our existing clients – showcase to them what is possible. And then give them some idea in terms of how they can use technology, and how we can help them bring some of the ideas that they have into life.”

The ability to do that is essential as technology advances exponentially.

“If you’re in the technology industry – you’ll see there’s always this hype cycle,” Shetty said. “And customers have become smart about it now. Nobody believes the hype cycle. They want to see – is it applicable within their environment at all? Will it work for them? Obviously, it’s the right way to go about it. You kick the tires – and you’ll see if it works or not. So, the approach that we have taken is show it to them.”

He said that when clients have the opportunity to touch, see and feel up-close what is possible from these technologies, it raises their comfort level.

Sundararajan noted the company’s growth – including being recognized at Davos in 2024 and 2025 as the fastest-growing brand among the global top 10 IT services companies from the Brand Finance Global 500 and IT Services Top 25 reports.

“We would like the journey to continue for as long as we can manage to maintain that position,” he said. “That would mean that we should be able to grow faster than some of our peer organizations. It comes through organic channels. It comes through what I would call – semi-inorganic channels, the kind of partnerships that we do with our customers and other players in the ecosystem. Are we geared for that? The answer is yes.

“Do we have the facility and the infrastructure to match that scale? The answer is yes,” Sundararajan stressed. “And if we need to expand – that will only be good news.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:25 a.m. ET Feb. 18, 2025, to note the company now employs more than 220,000 people. Additionally, the story now includes Shrikanth Shetty’s most recent title following his promotion as well as the company’s 2025 recognition from Brand Finance (in addition to 2024).