Huawei Invests $170 Million to Open Bengaluru R&D Centre

China's telecom equipment behemoth Huawei Thursday unveiled its research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru – the company's largest facility outside China.

The $46 billion Huawei, the first Chinese technology enterprise to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India 15 years ago, built the facility at a cost of $170 million over 20 acres in the city's IT corridor to house about 5,000 engineers.

"We are committed to the 'Made in India' campaign, as we are the first Chinese firm to set up our software product development centre in Bengaluru," Huawei India R&D centre chief operating officer Wilson Wang told reporters on the occasion.

The centre will focus on developing future technologies and generating patents, contributing to industry standardisation, collaborate with peers and academia and support the digital transformation of society.

"Our journey of globalisation began with the first overseas R&D centre in Bengaluru, where we also have the main software development and delivery units for our global customers. Of the 2,700 engineers, 98 percent of them are local," Wang said.

"As our innovation hub, the centre will develop software platforms, components and applications for various product lines of its parent company. This R&D facility is a fulfillment of our long-cherished dream. We are confident of it playing a bigger role in our innovation journey. We are committed to the overall growth of the ICT ecosystem in India and the world over," he added.

China's Ambassador to India Le Yucheng, who was present on the occasion, said Huawei's investment in its R&D centre in India reiterated the conducing ties and enhanced bilateral trade between the two countries.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Amitabh Kant said Huawei had played a major role in the evolution of the telecom ecosystem across the country and its investment in the new facility reflects its commitment to the Indian market.