TCS has received a USD1.2 billion contract from American market research firm Nielsen. This is the first instance of a company in India, bagging an outsourcing order valued more than USD 1 billion. Tata Consultancy (TCS) will offer a host of services to Nielsen, from management of its IT infrastructure to back-office work such payroll processing and tracking human resources, under the 10-year contract. It will also provide consulting services and set up an innovation lab to develop next generation business solutions. TCS had previously won a USD 847 mn contract from the U.K.-based Pearl Group, a pension and insurance company.

TCS Chief Operating Officer N. Chandrasekaran told The Associated Press that the Nielsen deal demonstrates that "we have the capability and credentials to win this engagement. We need more such deals. If it becomes a one-off thing, that's not going to help." Chandrasekaran said that the Nielsen contract was important because of the expansive range of services it covers. He further said "We will create a single platform to combine multiple operations relating to finance and accounts. We will also do the same for Nielsen's human resources. We will manage their information technology infrastructure and also offer consulting services such as helping out with analytics." Mitchell Habib, executive VP of Nielsen's global business services, said in a statement that the deal with TCS will help Nielsen focus on its core business. Habib said "This arrangement with TCS will help us streamline and simplify our IT (information technology) infrastructure ... and operational practices across our businesses. It will also give us much greater flexibility to respond quickly to changes in the marketplace."

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