Friday, April 8 2005 12:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shenzhen, China: Chinese telecom major, Huawei Technologies is bullish on India and will further expand its operations in the country, including its largest foreign software research and development (R&D) centre in Bangalore, which has become an "indispensable part" of the company's global growth strategy, a senior executive said.

"With the steady growth of the Indian market, we have the plans to increase investment in India. Our investment would cover R&D and other areas. It is for sure that our investments in India will increase," Executive Vice President of Huawei Technologies Fei Min told sources in headquarters of the company in Shenzhen, a booming city in southern China.

"As the largest overseas R&D centre of Huawei Technologies, the Bangalore centre has become an indispensable part of our total R&D force," Fei said, adding the company plans to introduce some of its main products.

Huawei India is set to become a CMMI Level 5 organisation in 2005, and will play a key role in the pioneering R&D efforts of Huawei Technologies in becoming a global leader in network solutions, Fei said.

The state-of-the-art Bangalore R&D centre of Huawei, set up in 1999 currently employs some 800 professionals, more than 90 per cent of them Indians, including some Indians as managers, Fei said, adding with the fast growth momentum in India's telecom market, Huawei will step up investments in the country, including starting manufacturing operations.