HP to add 3,500 jobs, open labs in India

The $42.2-billion infotech major Hewlett Packard (HP) today said that it would set up three new research laboratories in India and expand its services and consulting business in the country.

Pointing out that it would be increasing its manpower base in India to 5,000 from the present level of 1,500 over the coming years, HP said it was upping its software operations in India.

“We are investing in these areas as part of the company’s strategy to aggressively expand its position in India,” said Carly Fiorina, chairman, president and chief executive officer, HP said.

The company will also increase its sales presence, software operations, manufacturing and back office operations for its internal accounting functions substantially.

She, however, did not specify the investments that the company would make in India as part of its expansion strategy.

The laboratories will initially focus on language localisation, connectivity solutions and economically and culturally appropriate technologies, not only for the Indian market but for the other markets also.

The first two laboratories will be in Bangalore where HP will set up one at its software operations centre and another in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bangalore.

“The lab which will be set up in association with the IIS will be functional by the end of the current fiscal. It will also function as an industry partnership centre where our partners can come and work on various HP technologies,” she said.

The third laboratory will come up in Chennai, which will be set up in association with the electrical engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, which will become functional this summer.

“To make sure that the work in these laboratories are economically and culturally sustainable, HP Labs India will employ sociologists and economists in addition to computer scientists,” she said.

HP will also make considerable investments in the IT consulting and professional services business arena in India to meet the evolving business requirement of the enterprise customers in India.

HP will step up its services engagement to support banking and financial services customers in the implementation of new technologies.

“E-services and the new appliances are some of the new areas where we are expecting the Indian software operations to contribute. The center of e-services initiatives is the eSpeak software developed by the software operations. In the case of new appliances we are developing the Indian software operations will write the software on which those will run,” Fiorina said.

The company is also launching World e-inclusion, a business initiative with a social mission to broaden access to traditionally underserved markets in India.

"As our traditional markets continue to mature, the big growth opportunities presented by emerging economies gain even greater significance. We believe this initiative positions us very well in terms of business models, technologies and partnerships in India and other emerging markets," said Fiorina.