GlobespanVirata Inc, a Nasdaq-listed systems software company, plans to invest up to $20 million in its Indian R&D centre in the next 18-24 months besides increasing the workforce at the centre to 500 over the same period.

"GlobespanVirata plans to invest $15-20 million in its Noida R&D centre over the next 18-24 months in expansion of operations which would also see the centre growing to a 500-professional centre during the same period from the current 92," Vivek Bansal, president, GlobespanVirata India, said on Wednesday.

"The increased investment is for scaling up to VLSI, DSP and systems software development. Indian R&D centre would expand its technology expertise in MPEG-A and V, DTV, voice, video, audio, codec, Bluetooth among others", he said.

The company is actively pursuing acquisition of Indian companies present in the VLSI and DSP (in communications chips) space and is in talks with Indian companies.

Bansal did not disclose any specific details on the size or time-frame on this.

GlobespanVirata and Conexant, another US-based company in the business of fabless semi-conductor, have signed a definitive agreement to combine themselves in a strategic merger which will create a global leader in semiconductor solutions with a combined market cap of $2.8 billion.