[Hexaware Announces £25 M UK Expansion, 1,200 Jobs]
Hexaware Technologies (NSE: HEXT), an AI‑first digital and IT services firm, hosted a Great North Mayoral Delegation in Mumbai on 23 October 2026, led by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, and Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester. During the visit the company reiterated its June 2026 announcement of a £25 million investment to expand its UK footprint, targeting the creation of approximately 1,200 jobs over the next three to five years across Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, with 420 positions earmarked for Manchester and 240 for Leeds.
The firm disclosed a £9 million allocation for a new Design and Innovation Centre within Manchester’s SISTER innovation district, a collaboration with the University of Manchester that will generate hundreds of new jobs and provide access to Europe’s largest clinical academic campus on the Oxford Road Corridor.
Hexaware also formalised an agreement with the University of Leeds to deepen industry‑academic collaboration, encompassing joint research, knowledge sharing and experiential learning opportunities for students, thereby strengthening its graduate recruitment pipeline in the North of England.
Proposed R&D centres will be established in Manchester and Leeds, while Newcastle is being evaluated as a potential future site, leveraging the region’s strong university talent pool and proximity to Scotland.
Parameshwaran Iyer, Executive Vice President & Head – Europe at Hexaware, emphasized the strategic importance of the North of England for the company’s growth, noting the focus on developing technology capabilities and hiring graduates from local universities. Bev Craig highlighted Greater Manchester’s strengths in healthcare, life sciences and AI, welcoming Hexaware’s investment as a catalyst for innovation and employment. Tracy Brabin praised the creation of hundreds of jobs in Leeds as a vote of confidence for West Yorkshire. Glenn McCauley, Head of Proposition Development at the University of Leeds, described the agreement as a catalyst for regional economic growth.
The delegation noted the demographic links between the regions, citing more than 81,000 people of Indian heritage in Yorkshire and the Humber and 50,000 in Greater Manchester, alongside thousands of Indian students studying in local universities. The India‑UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), effective since July 2026, provides a supportive framework for these investments.
Hexaware will continue discussions with regional partners on the proposed R&D facilities, graduate recruitment and technology partnerships, drawing on Leeds’ expertise in digital engineering, data science, robotics, fintech and technology‑enabled care, and Manchester’s strengths in healthcare, life sciences, cyber and AI.