IT firm HCL Technologies today opened a new Global Delivery Centre in Redmond, Washington,

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where the company will initially invest $4 million (about Rs 19 crore), leading to the creation of 400 jobs over the next two years.

The new centre will support the company's continued global expansion plans and increased focus on business innovation in software product development, test engineering and business-critical platform development, HCL Technologies said in a statement.

At the office opening ceremony, HCL announced Microsoft as its first official enterprise customer.

At the event, Microsoft Director Brad Weed pledged $200,000 from the company's Workforce Investment Act Fund to HCL to assist with training of future employees from the Seattle area, the company said.

The collaborative engineering hub will have a 350-seat capacity and will provide both engineering and product development services.

"This centre shows our high level of commitment to our customers and our vision of local expansion by investment in people, facilities and processes," HCL Americas President Shami Khorana said.

HCL is working closely with the Washington State Department of Commerce and Enterprise, Seattle, for hiring and developing talent locally.

Additionally, HCL will work closely with several local universities to recruit young graduates, including the University of Washington, University of Washington-Bothell Campus, University of Washington-Tacoma, Seattle University, and Seattle Pacific University.

Shares of HCL Technologies were trading at Rs 397 apiece on the BSE today, down 2.11% from their previous close.