NTT DATA plans to nearly triple its workforce in Mangaluru, growing headcount from around 900 employees currently to more than 2,500 by the end of 2027, the Karnataka government said on 3 November 2026.
The expansion was discussed during a meeting between NTT DATA leadership and Karnataka’s IT, BT and e-Governance Minister Priyank Kharge, according to a statement from the state government.
“Karnataka’s next chapter of growth is being written beyond Bengaluru, and Mangaluru is leading that story,” Kharge said in the state government statement.
The hiring will focus on specialised capabilities across healthcare and life sciences, high technology, automotive, manufacturing, AI and data. The expansion follows NTT DATA’s acquisition of Niveus Solutions, which brought it a significant Mangaluru base. The company has flagged both Mangaluru and Bengaluru as key growth locations.
NTT DATA also plans to build a new campus in Mangaluru. The Karnataka government will support the expansion through industry-aligned skilling initiatives, infrastructure development and partnerships with academic institutions.
The state’s Beyond Bengaluru initiative aims to channel investment and employment opportunities to talent pools in regional centres such as Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Belagavi. The state’s IT and Biotechnology Department said discussions also covered talent development, infrastructure, investment facilitation and collaboration with startups and academic institutions.
The state also proposed facilitating quality office space and digital infrastructure in Mangaluru, including data centre investments under its Sustainable Data Centre policy.
The announcement adds to recent Tier-II city expansion signals from the IT sector, after Deloitte South Asia CEO Romal Shetty said at TiEcon Mangaluru 2026 that the firm plans to hire about 50,000 more people in India and is assessing Mangaluru as a potential location.
