Thursday, Jan 20, 2005
Adobe opens second R&D unit; to hire 150 more
Our Bureau
New Delhi , Jan. 19
ANNOUNCING the opening of its second research and development unit in the country at a cost of $8 million, Adobe Systems Inc on Wednesday said it would add 150 professionals in 2005.
"Last year we added 150 professionals and this year we plan to add another 150 professionals at least, taking the total headcount to 525 by the year-end," said Mr Naresh Gupta, Managing Director, Adobe Systems India.
The second R&D unit has a capacity to accommodate additional 450 employees, taking the total capacity for Adobe India to 850. With this, Adobe's Indian centre becomes the largest R&D unit outside the US.
"After the San Jose and Seattle centres in the US, the Indian centre has emerged as the company's third largest centre worldwide," said Mr Gupta.
The Indian centre has filed for 25 patents during the last four years, and "on a proportionate basis, the patent filed per engineer in India is comparable to that of the US," said Mr Gupta, adding that the company spends 20 per cent of its revenues on R&D.
Declining to give details about revenue accruals from India, the Adobe Systems President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Shantanu Narayen, said the Asia-Pacific revenues accounted for 20 per cent of Adobe's worldwide revenues.
"The revenue accruals from India do not really reflect the actual usage pattern here since piracy continues to be an issue," said Mr Narayen.
Regarding Adobe's investment plans in India, Mr Gupta said Adobe's plans announced in October 2002 to invest $50 million over a five-year period were very much on track. Declining to share the exact amount spent till date out of the pledged $50 million, he said, "We are fairly ahead."
Copyright © 2005, The Hindu Business Line.