It is a boom time for R&D centers in India. MindTree, Mirrus Systems, IBM, and Citrix Systems are some of the noteworthy companies that made investment in their Indian research and development (R&D) operations recently.

MindTree, a global IT and R&D Services company, has opened a development center, MindTree Coromandel, in Chennai. The facility has the capacity to accommodate 2,800 employees.

Similarly, Mirrus Systems, a CBay Group company and a global patient financial services provider, has opened an R&D center in Bangalore. The center will focus on development and maintenance of Mirrus Systems technology platform for its patient financial services offerings.

"This is our first phase of expansion in India. We plan to increase our headcount to over 300 by next year and to 1,000 by 2010. We are investing an initial amount of $1.5 million in this center," says, Nanda Krish, President and CEO of Mirrus Systems.

IBM also has gone in for expansion of its innovation center in Bangalore for startup companies, software developers, independent software vendors, IT professionals, and academics. The center will help them grow their IT skills, create new software and hardware applications and services, and deliver them to the global marketplace.

Equipped with new labs and infrastructure for latest technologies - RFiD, Pervasive and SOA, the center will provide technology, education, consulting support, and access to IBM sales and marketing experts. The center also boasts Remote Access Facility services.

Meanwhile, the $1.4 billion U.S.-based IT firm Citrix Systems is all set to expand its R&D operations at its Bangalore center. The company will invest $200 million for this purpose.

The India center will develop complete product line under the trademark 'Citrix delivery center' for global and local customers; apart from undertaking advance research in design, coding, functional testing, documentation, engineering, management, and escalation.