Firstsource Solutions, the ICICI Bank-promoted Indian BPO major, plans to create 800 new jobs in Northern Ireland by establishing a new centre of excellence and expanding its existing operations in Londonderry.

The company has announced that around 300 of the new jobs will be in Londonderry where the company already employs 350. The remaining 500 jobs will be based in the company's European Centre of Excellence. The company will commission the centre in the region in a short duration.

Further, the company has received £6.7 million (about Rs 54 crore) grant aid from Invest Northern Ireland, a regional economic development agency.

The grant and the expansion were finalized during a recent trade visit to India by the Enterprise, Trade and Investment minister Nigel Dodds.

The investment further boosts the strong links between Northern Ireland and India, which has led to a string of inward investments from Indian companies. Recently, Invest Northern Ireland has opened an office in Mumbai to further cultivate these links.

Firstsource has 34 call centres worldwide and employs more than 17,000 people across four continents. It specializes in providing outsourced services including contact centre, back-office processing and debt-collection services.