In its case, Mahindra Satyam is opening an IT delivery center in Fargo, N.D., with the help of anchor client Cargill, one of the largest companies in the U.S.

The Indian firm is initially operating the delivery center out of the Global Business center of Cargill, a privately held food and agricultural company that claims nearly $120 billion in annual revenue.

Under an agreement recently reached by these two firms, about 200 Cargill business services employees are already working in the Mahindra Satyam delivery center as employees of Cargill.

"To keep our Fargo service center competitive, we needed to add new skills and we needed a partner with global experience," said a Cargill spokesman when asked about the agreement.

Some Cargill employees in the service center will remain employees of the American company and will work on its projects, the spokesman said.