Zeiss opens tech-focussed centre in India, to double workforce in 3 years

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

11/11/2024 11:51

By Sai Ishwarbharath B
       BENGALURU, Nov 11 (Reuters) - 
      German optical technology firm Carl Zeiss AG on Monday
opened its first global capability centre (GCC) in India and
said it plans to double its local workforce to 5,000 in the next
three years.
  
The centre, located in the southern city of Bengaluru, will host
functions such as cloud computing, cybersecurity and network
operations, and also develop software services for its medical
technology subsidiary Carl Zeiss Meditec AG  AFXG.DE .
    India's GCCs have in recent years evolved from low-cost
outsourcing hubs to local offices of global companies supporting
their parent organisations in multiple functions, including
daily operations, finance, research and development.
    Apart from technical employees, the workforce expansion will
also include hiring for its fifth manufacturing facility in the
country, built at a cost of 30 billion rupees ($355.67 million),
which is also in Bengaluru and begins operations in 2025.
  
"Bengaluru is a prime hub due to availability of skills,
collaborations and also ecosystem that is very important to
grow. The new plant (in Bengaluru) will also be the largest
investment Zeiss Group has ever done outside of Germany," said
Dhaval Radia, the chief financial offer of the company's India
unit.
The company also has sales and research and development work in
India. The India unit is expected to clock 22 billion rupees in
revenue for the current year ending September 2025, up 19%
year-on-year, Radia said.
    The state of Karnataka, where Bengaluru is located, 
    released
     a draft policy in September with an aim to double the
number of GCCs it hosts to 1,000 and create 350,000 new jobs by
2029. 
  
    The market size of Indian GCCs is likely to 
    grow
     to $99 billion-$105 billion by fiscal year 2030 from $64.6
billion in 2024, according to a report by IT industry body
Nasscom and consulting firm Zinnov. 
     
     
    ($1 = 84.3490 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sai Ishwarbharath B)
((mailto:saiishwarbharath.b@thomsonreuters.com;))