Hyderabad, March 18 (IANS) Ten professionals of IBM from seven countries worked with five NGOs and not-for-profit organisations here as part of the corporate social responsibility initiative of the global IT major.
Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore are among 17 cities around the world being covered under the first phase of IBM’s Corporate Service Corps (CSC) initiatives for 2010.

The projects in Hyderabad attracted IBM employees from the US, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Austria.

Ramesh Narasimhan, director of IBM India/South Asia, told reporters here Thursday that IBM completed first phase of the CSC initiatives in Hyderabad.

Under this global programme for which IBM annually spends $150 million, it places its employees into developing countries to address core societal, educational and environmental challenges.

“Between February and May this year, 30 CSC participants from around the world are arriving in India to work on a number of key socio-economic development projects,” he said.

In Hyderabad, IBM has tied up with GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, Hyderabad Council of Human Welfare, Dr Reddy’s Foundation, Andhra Pradesh Residential Educational Institutions Society and Janani Foods to implement various development projects including developing and improving data management of these organisations and improving effectiveness of their programmes and skills of their staff.

In 2009, IBM’s CSC programme in India saw 40 IBM professionals from 19 countries working with 11 NGOs and not-for-profit government organisations in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. About 100 IBM India employees travelled to five countries for similar programmes.