General Motors invests $21 M in R&D centre in Bangalore

Thursday, 05 February 2004, 20:30 IST
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WASHINGTON: Automaker General Motors has invested $21 million to set up a research and development centre in Bangalore to conduct new exploratory research in math-based tools, vehicle development and controls systems. "We needed a physical presence in the Asia-Pacific region. We weighed the availability in talent and time zones," said Alan Taub, executive director of the science laboratories for the company's research and development unit. "We chose India for a number of reasons -- everything from cost, security and availability of electricity supply," a website devoted to auto industry news quoted him as saying. The 40,000-sq-foot facility, which opened in September of 2003, is General Motors' first automotive research laboratory outside the US. The Detroit-based firm considered several factors, including the need to move closer to the Asia-Pacific region and to tap a diverse pool of talent and leverage work being done in Indian universities and its national laboratories. Working in partnership with General Motors' central research and development science labs at Warren, Michigan, the Indian lab -- which currently employs 15 scientists but expects to increase to 100 soon -- will conduct new exploratory research in math-based tools and lightweight materials, agile manufacturing processes and automotive electronics among other things. In addition to work at its research labs in Michigan and India, General Motors has ongoing projects and collaborations at universities in several countries including Canada, Switzerland, China, Israel, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Britain. In India, the company has more than 30 research projects being conducted at universities and national laboratories, including the Collaborative Research Lab at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. "Our global R&D network significantly expands our technical capabilities so that we can respond with creativity and speed and ensure GM's leadership in strategically important technologies," explained Taub. "Asia-Pacific is a key regional growth market, and our science lab in India further enables us to remain the world leader in product innovation." While the lab is based in India, Taub notes that not all scientists would be from the region. As with its lab in Michigan, General Motors plans to recruit globally to ensure it has a diverse workforce, which in turn will lead to diverse innovation. One-third of the initial researchers at the Bangalore lab were recruited out of US universities and labs, the other two-thirds from India. When the lab ramps up to its full capacity, there will be researchers from all over the world working in Bangalore.
Source: IANS
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