GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Tata Consultancy Services announced an agreement to establish a global drug development support centre in Mumbai to help meet the demands of the growing GSK pipeline.

Under a multi-year multi-million dollar contract agreed by the two companies, TCS will provide a variety of services in clinical research, including Clinical Data Management and Clinical Submissions Support. The partnership will help GSK expand capacity in response to increased efficiency demands, leverage the high-quality talent pool in India, and benefit from cost and process improvements.

The centre will house a TCS team of highly skilled professionals including pharmacologists, PhDs in life sciences, post-graduates in Pharmacy, and individuals with a life sciences background experienced in clinical-data management and programming. TCS will bring in its strong domain expertise, superior talent management skills, flexible operating models, proven transition capabilities and performance driven processes.

"This strategic partnership with TCS represents a significant step towards GSK's vision of leveraging key talent globally to develop innovative medicines, said Dr. Amber Salzman, Senior Vice President, Development Operations, GSK. “GSK has chosen to partner with TCS because of its strong record in knowledge process outsourcing, underpinned by operational excellence. I am confident our collaboration will benefit both partners and, most important, help to deliver new medicines to patients."

GSK, whose presence in India dates from 1924, is the leading research-based pharmaceutical company in the country by sales. The pharmaceuticals business of GSK India employs 2425 people.

Commenting on the partnership, J. Rajagopal, Executive Vice President and Global Head- Life Sciences & Healthcare, TCS said: "The engagement with GSK is an endorsement of TCS's strategy to focus on services supporting the drug development processes and the investments made in building our domain competencies in this area. The opportunity to work with GSK will further enhance our capabilities across therapeutic areas and help us build a long term relationship with an acknowledged industry leader."

VK Raman, Head, TCS BPO added: “TCS looks at areas to develop a KPO business that leverages IT to provide a transformational customer experience both from a performance and cost standpoint. The life sciences space provides an important opportunity to implement that strategy and the partnership with GSK will help drive competencies and skills in this fast-growing segment.”

The Life Sciences and Healthcare Practice at TCS has over 3200 professionals including pharmacologists, physicians, biomedical engineers, biostatisticians, ICH/GCP compliance professionals, GxP consultants, PhDs, IT architects, consultants and management graduates who are focused on providing best in class IT consulting, solutions and services to Life Sciences and Healthcare customers across the world.

TCS' Life Sciences services cover the entire spectrum of R&D and, TCS works with a number of leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies across the value chain. The Practice has an impressive list of clients, which includes highly reputable multinational organizations.

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About GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at www.gsk.com

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is the world leading information technology consulting, services, business process outsourcing and engineering services organization that envisioned and pioneered the adoption of the flexible global business practices that today enable companies to operate more efficiently and produce more value. TCS achieved this by creating and perfecting a unique method of global deployment and delivery of high quality, high value services and products in IT consulting and business process outsourcing. Known as the “Global Delivery Model,” this strategic services delivery concept has reshaped the IT services industry.

More than 95% of TCS customers reward the company's reliability, passion, creativity, and unique ability to handle the broadest range of their IT needs by continually extending and deepening their partnerships with TCS. With over 70,000 of the world's best trained IT consultants located in 35 countries, TCS is uniquely positioned to deliver its flexible world class services seamlessly to any location. TCS reported consolidated revenues of $2.97 billion (U.S.) in the fiscal year 2005-2006. The company is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India.

For more informatio, visit www.tcs.com