Transnational companies
have recognized India's
capability and potential
as an important hub for
global e-business
solutions and as a
source for innovative
ideas.
Sun wants to help build
100 dotcoms
Over the next three to
four years, we want to
help create up to 100
dotcom companies in
India, each with a
market cap of around $10
billion,” said Lionel
Lim, Sun's VP and MD
(Asia South). “That is,
perhaps, the biggest
investment we can make
in this country,” he
added.
Sun, he said, planned to
push the Net economy in
India much the same way
it had done in Singapore
a few years ago.
Primarily, it would be
through offering its
technical expertise and
incubation funds. It has
already started an
incubation program with
ICICI. Besides, it is
working with DoE
(department of
electronics), LG (for
developing appliances)
and
PricewaterhouseCooper.
The company has other
plans for greater
presence in India. It
has evolved a
three-pronged strategy-
-to increase the number
of people working at its
engineering center in
Bangalore to 500 in 12
months from around 100
at present; to open new
offices; and to expand
its Java pool program to
help engineers develop
network-centric program
and devices.
Cisco to invest $150
million in India
Networking giant Cisco
Systems Inc said that it
would invest $150
million to expand its
technology development
center in India over the
next two years.
Cisco's largest R&D
center outside the US
This will be Cisco's
second-largest research
and development (R&D)
facility globally and
the largest outside the
U.S.,” Jayshree Ullal,
Cisco's vice president
and general manager,
Enterprise Line of
Business, told a news
conference in the
southern Indian city of
Bangalore.
Cisco officials said the
company had already
invested $75 million in
India since January
1996. The current
announcement relates to
fresh investments, they
said.
Ullal said the R&D
facility would be based
in Bangalore and
increase its workforce
to 1,500 tech
professionals over the
next two years from the
current 500.
Tapping business
potential in the
Asia-Pacific
This center will play a
strategic role in
Cisco's ability to
rapidly develop
technologies...and
quickly deploy solutions
and products that
customers are
demanding,” she said.
Cisco officials said the
investment was part of
the firm's strategy to
tap the rapid business
growth in the Asia
Pacific region.
Ford will make India its
IT hub for global
operations
Close on the heels of
making India its
accounting headquarters,
the US-based auto giant
Ford Motor Company (FMC)
in now working towards
making India the IT hub
for its global
operations.
"Ford will set up a
software development
center in India by
January next year for
its future e-business
solutions," said the
company's director (IT)
Asia Pacific and South
Africa John Larson.
Software development
FMC has decided to
infuse $3 to $5 million
over the next six-18
months into the IT
venture, said Larson.
This can go up to
$30-$50 million per
annum. “We have already
started getting the IT
work from other
manufacturing bases to
India”, said Larson. The
company is in the
process of finalizing
the modalities of the
venture, which is likely
to be floated as a
separate company.
“India would play a
major role in Ford's
global strategies and it
would be the pilot for
our new e-business
solutions,” said Larson,
adding that the company
had tested some new IT
solutions in the country
before their global
launch.
