Business trends were turned on their head today when an Indian IT company announced it was creating 250 call centre jobs in Northern Ireland.
The major jobs boost for Belfast will come as part of a £1.9 million investment by HCL BPO, one of India's leading global IT companies.
HLC currently employs 900 people in its call centre at Apollo Road in the south of the city - an operation it took over from BT in 2001.
Announcing the new jobs, Northern Ireland Economy Minister Mr Barry Gardiner said the investment was "especially significant as it reverses the trend".
He said: "Many similar call centres have relocated outside Northern Ireland. Here we have a leading company from India investing in Northern Ireland."
HCL's global strategy was to increase its business in Europe and the US and the expansion in Belfast would further consolidate the city as its key European base, he said.
"It will provide good quality, knowledge-based jobs in a New Targeting Social Need area. It will offer recruits and existing employees extensive training opportunities," added Mr Gardiner.