In a significant move, the state run Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has announced that it has awarded Rs. 1,182 crore outsourcing contract to IT major, Wipro Infotech.

ESIC is a constitutional firm which works under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. It is considered as the main implementing agency of social security scheme in the country.

The 6-½ year outsourcing contract involves execution of a motivated venture to develop healthcare services to its beneficiaries by offering online facilities to employers and insured people for registration, payment of premium and disbursement of cash benefits. Other modules will provide HR, Finance and General Administration programs for increasing the organizational efficiency.

Confirming the development, Anand Sankaran (Senior Vice President & Head- India and Middle East, Wipro Infotech) said “It is an honour to be awarded one of the most prestigious e-Governance projects. This is a strategic relationship for Wipro and we are committed to making it a showcase in the e-governance domain. The Labour Ministry is very supportive and is keen on ensuring a quick roll-out of the project since it directly benefits the common citizens of India.”

The project which concentrates on creating a medicare backbone for the marginalized sections of society was mandated by ESI Act 1948.

On 25th November 2008, ESIC through a global tender has invited bids for Project Panchdeep on Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model.

Three bids were received from TCS, Wipro and Infosys and after a detailed project consultancy and efficient evaluation, ESIC awarded the 6 and half year project to Wipro.