In 1978 TCS had begun doing some work for the Institutional group Information Corporation ( IGIC). TCS supplied about 1/3 of the software conversion team effort which took two years. At one point TCS had over fifty technicians helping IGIC with conversion with included writing conversion filters and some new code skills TCS was able to put to use elsewhere later.
It was during that period that TCS introduced the concept of Offshore/OnShore working. TCS realised that time difference between Bombay and Newyork could be used as advantage, so it was suggested to IGIC that TCS engineers in India work on the software code while the US was asleep and then send the results over to New York, so it was ready first thing in the morning New York Time. Effectively IGIC ended up with a twenty-four hour-a day operation. At that time, no one else was using this model- from TCS Story and Beyond, S Ramadorai