Bangalore: The $ 2.7 billion Chinese telecom company Huawei Technologies has earmarked an additional $100 million over the next three years to expand operations in its Research and Development centre in Bangalore.

The infusion includes money required to establish a campus in Information Technology corridor, spokesman of the company's R&D, J Gilbert, said.

The company was looking out for 40 acres of land to house its engineers, whose number is expected to be scaled upto 2000 by the year 2005 from the present base of 600, he said.

Huawei had so far invested $ 60 million in this three-year-old R&D Centre, where the firm was working on a number of telecom projects, he said.

On the new visa agreement, which sought to simplify and reduce processing periods, signed during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's visit to China last month, the COO (Chief Operating Officer)of Huawei Technologies (India), James Yuan said it would largely benefit the company as it had been sending its Indian professionals to China and bringing in Chinese professionals to India.

PTI