Huawei to expand India operations

Chinese telecom major, Huawei Technologies is bullish on India and will further expand its operations in the country, including its largest foreign software research and development centre in Bangalore which has become an "indispensable part" of the company's global growth strategy, a senior executive said.

"With the steady growth of the Indian market, we have the plans to increase investment in India. Our investment would cover R&D and other areas," executive vice president of Huawei Technologies, Fei Min said at headquarters of the company in Shenzhen, a booming city in southern China.

"As the largest overseas R&D centre of Huawei Technologies, the Bangalore centre has become an indispensable part of our total R&D force," Fei said, adding the company plans to introduce some of its main products.

Huawei India is set to become a CMMI Level 5 organisation in 2005, and will play a key role in the pioneering R&D efforts of Huawei Technologies in becoming a global leader in network solutions, Fei said.

The state-of-the-art Bangalore R&D centre of Huawei, set up in 1999 currently employs some 800 professionals, more than 90 per cent of them Indians, including some Indians as managers, Fei said, adding with the fast growth momentum in India's telecom market, Huawei will step up investments in the country, including starting manufacturing operations.

As the largest overseas R&D centre of Huawei Technologies, Huawei India, the most successful Chinese enterprise in India, is currently engaged in developing cutting-edge technologies that include Next Generation Network, Datacomm, Telecom Middleware, Network Management, Intelligent Network, Mobile Handset, Server, Security and Optical Network, and has filed nearly 150 patents.

Huawei Technologies, which is providing customized network solutions for telecom carriers across the world, including India, is keenly awaiting the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the company's Bangalore R&D facility which is spread over 150,000 sq ft, Fei said.

The Chinese Premier's visit to Bangalore as well as to Huawei's software facility will greatly boost Sino-Indian cooperation in the information technology sector as well as give a further fillip to Huawei's operations in the country, Fei said.

Wen, who is arriving in Bangalore on Saturday, will visit Huawei as well as Tata Consultancy Services campus.

An SEI CMM Level 5 organisation, Huawei India has established a multi cultural work environment harnessing the expertise of system architecture and software product development

Besides its focus on software R&D, Huawei India is a key technical support centre for Asia Pacific, providing fast response and customised solutions to global customers of uawei by practicing IPD (Integrated Product Development).