GE's local facility to become global R&D centre

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

General Electric Company, the $112-billion US-based global conglomerate, is expanding its John F Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore in the next two years to make it the largest global multi-disciplinary research and development facility of GE Worldwide.

Declaring this on Sunday at the opening up of the $40-million technology centre, named after him, GE chairman and CEO John (Jack) F Welch Jr, asserted that the parent company would be investing an additional $53 million for expanding the centre in two phases.

"The Bangalore centre will not only be the largest such facility of GE worldwide, but will also be very critical to the global operations of the GE as India is the only country with such a reservoir of scientific talent and intellectual capital to harness. India may be a developing country, but it already has a highly developed intellectual capital," Welch affirmed.

The centre will also enable GE to extend its R&D resources, accelerating its ability to deliver advanced technology to its global customers. Leveraging with its Six Sigma quality process methodology and e-engineering/digitalisation focus, its virtual global labs and facilities are equipped with world class and state-of-the-art scientific equipment.

The centre was inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna. The first phase is spread over 186,000 sq ft of area, and will accommodate about 600 scientists and technologists. The second phase, to be completed by May 2001, will have an additional space of 140,000 sq ft.

As an integral part of GE's global corporate R&D organisation, collaborating with the multinational company's other technology lab centres, located in the US, Mexico, and China, the Indian Centre will conduct research, development, and engineering for all of GE's diverse businesses world-wide.

"A truly global company will be the one that uses the intellect and resources of every corner of the world. As GE continues to push into new technology frontiers and provides world-class products and services to our thousands of customers, we need to look at research and development through a global prism. The opening of this technology centre marks a new level of commitment by GE in India," Welch claimed.

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