Electrolux, the Swedish home appliances major, today said its Indian operations would break even late next year. The company plans to outsource components worth $300 million in the next three years from India.
The company will invest Rs 40 crore by 2007 in a research and development centre here, besides sourcing IT services from Patni Computers.
“We are fully committed to the Indian market and will provide strategic support to our subsidiary here. Our commitments to the country are long term and in line with our global operations…The company will emerge as the most innovative appliances maker that understands its customers,” A B Electrolux president and CEO Hans Straberg said.
“We have invested $100 million since 2002 in India,” he added.
Straberg, who is on his first visit to India as CEO, will inaugurate the company’s R&D centre in Shajanpur (Rajasthan).
He said the company’s Indian operations will be the Saarc headquarters, excluding Sri Lanka.
The Swedish company will also outsource call-centre operations to India by shifting a part of the North American activities to the country. The sourcing will be done through LiverBridge whose Indian associate in North America is the Hero group.
The call centre will start operations in the third quarter of 2004. Its capacity will be expanded from 20 to handle increasing US call volumes in 2005.
From The Telegraph