Today, I was joined by Gov. Dannel Malloy and Gov.-elect Ned Lamont to inaugurate Infosys’ Hartford Technology and Innovation Hub. The Hub will help Infosys work more closely with its clients in the region and serve as the global center for Infosys’ InsurTech and HealthTech efforts. However, none of that would have been possible without the leadership of Gov. Malloy, Gov.-elect Lamont and our business and education partners in the great State of Connecticut.
When Infosys first announced its workforce transformation commitment in the United States 18 months ago, Gov. Malloy and Gov.-elect Lamont reached out to me through one of my friends, Indra Nooyi. They were so enthusiastic about our commitment to hire 10,000 American workers and invited me to consider Hartford as a location for one of our hubs.
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I took them up on their offer to visit Hartford, and I was inspired by the tenacity and energy pulsing through the city. Gov. Malloy and Gov.-elect Lamont introduced me to several major business leaders, including Hartford HealthCare CEO Elliot Joseph, Stanley Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree and Cigna CIO Mark Boxer, each of whom spoke about the need for a company like Infosys in Hartford and expressed their determination to have Infosys open a hub in the city. They pledged: “Come here. We’ll work together. We’ll make it successful.”
When I reflect on that day, what strikes me the most was our mutual understanding of the potential for Hartford to become a destination for the companies of the future. Hartford-area companies understand the impact digital transformation is having on their industries and are taking proactive steps to remain at the forefront of innovation.
Stanley Black & Decker established its advanced manufacturing training and research center in downtown Hartford to help accelerate the company’s smart factory initiative. Aetna, one of Hartford’s oldest companies, recently recommitted to keep its headquarters in the city as the company embarks on a journey to revolutionize the digital customer experience in healthcare. Infosys recognizes the power of this trend, and we are co-locating near our clients to co-innovate and co-create alongside them.
But to accomplish this, Infosys will need to develop local talent pools in the cities and states in which our clients work. From the outset, we’ve worked closely with Gov. Malloy, Gov.-elect Lamont, and local education leaders to make STEM education a priority.
At the university level, we have partnered with Trinity College to create new educational programs that prepare liberal arts students and Infosys employees to be part of the digital workplace of the future. Through our partnership, we are creating bridge programs for students and professionals from non-STEM backgrounds to transition into IT roles, including data and business analysis and digital transformation.
I’m also proud to share that we recently announced a national partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, providing a grant to develop a comprehensive Spanish-language computer science program for K-8 students around the country. Hartford-area schools will be involved in the pilot.
I am convinced Hartford’s —and Connecticut’s— best days are still ahead. I am honored to have been a part of today’s celebration and look forward to Infosys delivering even more value to our clients in the area via our work at the Hartford Hub.
Ravi Kumar is President of Infosys.