Interglobe Technologies

Serving Europe via Amsterdam  

Location: Amsterdam
Activities: Customer service centre
Industry: Information technology and travel

Interglobe Technologies (IGTPL) is uniquely positioned as a travel technology company. Based in India, IGTPL provides information technology solutions, business process outsourcing and consulting services to airlines and travel companies across the globe. The company is armed with solutions tailor-made for the travel industry, like airline reservation systems, departure control systems, internet booking engines, back-office automation for travel agencies, airline contact centres, etc. 

An office in Europe
A global delivery approach characterises IGTPL's model and is largely responsible for its wide outreach. Starting in 1998, the company steadily increased its foreign client base, reaching out to North America, Europe, Asia and Australia aggressively. In 2006, IGTPL decided to set up a base in the Netherlands to service the on-site needs of the company's European clients.  Moreover, IGTPL felt the need to enhance customer experience by having a presence in Europe.

A flawless entry
Having zeroed in on Amsterdam as the clear choice for a Netherlands office, IGTPL started the incorporation process by approaching a Dutch consulting company called Van Heugten & Dekker Belastingadviseurs BV.

While this process was underway, NFIA India proactively contacted IGTPL to help out with the incorporation and immigration formalities. "Mr Robert Schipper and his team in India provided IGT their personal support, handholding us through the initial phase with utmost care. They ensured that we were introduced to other networks and organisations in a timely manner and further monitored each activity to successful closure. Settling into the Netherlands was methodical and NFIA did monitor every stage very well. In turn, the entry into the Netherlands was absolutely flawless," underlines Vipul Doshi, Chief Executive Officer of IGTPL. "The commitment of the NFIA team in India is truly commendable and provides a huge level of comfort to companies like IGT to explore and build business in the Netherlands," he adds. 

Reason to smile
Today, IGTPL's set-up in the Netherlands is growing steadily, both in terms of servicing its customers as well as in terms of increasing sales coverage. At a time when recessionary trends prevail in both the IT and travel industries where IGT is a key domain player, the company's growth is affected. "However, the company has been able to sustain reasonable growth and continue to provide value to its existing customers," the CEO assures.

IGTPL's foray into the Netherlands has been highly successful. By virtue of having a presence in the Netherlands, the company has been able to enhance customer experience by having "near-shore" capabilities for its customers. Further, the Amsterdam office has added to IGT's sales capabilities serving as a base from where the company can access European markets.

Source: Mukta; Vipul Doshi; Date: April 2009