Nasdaq listed Sanmia-SCI Corporation is to set up a software development laboratory and a global IT support centre in Chennai with an investment of over $4 million in phase one, according to a top executive of the company.

"Sanmia-SCI has strategic interest in India. This is our first software development centre outside US," James Johnson, vice president, enterprise application development, Sanmia-SCI, told reporters in Chennai, adding that the company was looking at making India the hub for development activities to support its business across the world.

The Chennai software development lab would cater to the Sanmia-SCI's global requirements and the company planned to hire at least 150 software professionals for the Chennai operations, Kumar Subramaniam, managing director, Sanmia SCI India Pvt Ltd said.

The company provides complete manufacturing solutions to OEMs in the communications, defence and aerospace, industrial and medical instrumentation, computer technology and multimedia sectors across the globe, Johnson said.