Leading IT firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Friday announced that the Greater Paris Investment Agency (GPIA) had conferred on TCS the “Prix spécial de l'innovation de Paris-Ile de France Capitale Economique 2011”.

Valérie Pécresse, France’s cabinet minister for Budget, Public Accounts and State Reform, presented the award on Feb 9 along with Daniel Canepa, Prefect of the Ile-de-France region and in the presence of H.E Rakesh Sood, Ambassador of India to France.

Chiara Corazza, Managing Director of the Greater Paris Investment Agency, said, “Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Communications are prime examples of global businesses that have embraced the growth opportunities offered by Greater Paris."

"The region has a total GDP of €585 billion and a highly diversified economy with strongholds in aeronautics, automobile and IT industries, so we’re confident that Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Communications will continue to reap the benefits of investing in the region, and that many more global businesses will follow their lead,” Corazza said.

TCS has been operating in France since 1992, with over 1,000 consultants currently working for 35 French customers, including several leading CAC 40 businesses.

In 2006 TCS made a major investment in France and Switzerland by acquiring a local IT company TKS Teknosoft for over 70 m Euros.

Over the last 5 years, TCS has significantly strengthened its local presence in France by hiring local nationals to augment its front office functions - sales, operations and client management teams in the country.

Earlier this week, TCS announced that it has been chosen as the strategic IT development partner for France based Europcar, the continent’s leading car rental firm.

Surya Kant, President of North America, UK and Europe at Tata Consultancy Services said, “Expanding our operations in France is a central element of our global growth strategy. The Greater Paris region has served as an excellent base of operations for us towards this purpose."