Bangalore: German software giant SAP plans to double its headcount in India to 1,500 next year, a senior executive said today (November 18).

The world's leading provider of business software solutions currently has 750 employees in India. "Headcount projection of SAP in India is growth to 1,500 employees in 2004", member of the SAP Executive Board, Peter Zencke, told reporters in Bangalore.

The company would hire people for software development, field operations and consulting, Zencke said.

New York Stock Exchange-listed SAP today unveiled its new development facility in Bangalore, the largest hub for the company in the Asia Pacific region.

SAP Labs India's main focus would be devoted to global research and development for products and services introduced to SAP customers in India and other markets world-wide, company officials said.

The company planned second phase of the campus housing 1,100 professionals. The first phase inaugurated houses the current workforce of 750. SAP said it has invested Euro 20 million in the new 21- acre facility here.

SAP, which began its operations in India in November 1998, said it currently has 400 customers in the country, including 150 in the small and medium business space.

PTI