EMC ramps up Indian operations

EMC will spend $1.5bn in India over the next five years

EMC is ramping up its investment in India, with a plan to spend $1.5bn (£906m) in the subcontinent over the next five years.

The company, which only started investing in India in 2000, will spend the money on expanding its R&D operations, hiring more local staff and expanding EMC Global Services in the country.

The firm will consolidate its Indian operations into one Centre of Excellence in the Karnataka. The centre will be nearly half a million square feet and will conform to strict environmental controls.

"This investment is an important milestone in our journey to having world-class R&D and services organisations located in India," said Sarv Saravanan, managing director of the India Centre of Excellence.

"The new campus provides a state-of-the-art facility that will help us attract quality talent to drive innovation and growth [in] India. The consolidation of EMC's R&D, Global Services and other technical groups into one location provides increased value to our customers and partners."

The move to the region is part of a major attempt to encourage inward investment by the Indian state. No details were given but typically such deals involve low-cost land and lower taxes for the investing company.

"EMC's investment is testimony to the self-sustaining ecosystem India has built and the opportunity it offers businesses to effectively compete in the global economy," said Shri B.S. Yeddyurappa, chief minister of Karnataka.

"The government of Karnataka has a proactive policy of facilitating investments in the state and aiding the growth of Karnataka as the IT capital of India. We congratulate EMC on this momentous occasion and assure our support to its growth plans."

EMC announced in May that it was planning a $7bn (£4.2bn) investment campaign, and has spent billions on a string of acquisitions, including a hard fought battle for Data Domain.