The Hindu News Update Service
News Update Service
Monday, February 4, 2008 : 0300 Hrs
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Business
Intel to invest over $ 1 billion in India
Mumbai (PTI): Global chip maker Intel will invest more than USD one billion in
India over the next three years as it seeks to prepare light-weight personal
computers in partnership with Indian and foreign hardware firms.
"We have committed to spend over a billion dollars spread over next three years
plus. We are focusing on a number of new initiatives for enabling easy
availability
of personal computers (PCs) and broadband Internet in India," Intel Technology
India Director- marketing and operations John A McClure told PTI here.
The company is partnering with foreign and Indian computer hardware brands like
ASUS Technologies, HCL, Wipro and Zenith for preparing light weight easy-to-use
Internet platforms.
"From our India experience, we have learnt that mobility is particularly what
even a first time PC buyer is looking for. They want lightweight products,
that could run on battery for three to four hours, is easy to store and doesn't
take too much space," McClure said.
The company is working on different designs for specific market segments. It is
also preparing to introduce Wimax technology in India, the fastest wireless
BB technology available at lower cost than optical fibres.
"This is the best technology to bridge the PC-broadband Internet gap in India.
With three million broadband Internet subscription against a PC deployment
of 35 million, India has the worst broadband-PC ratio in a large market," he
said.
The Intel executive said that low broadband Internet penetration in India could
lead towards the country lagging behind in overall development.
"Today India is seventh or eighth largest PC market, poised to become third or
fourth largest by 2012. But it is well behind in Internet penetration. This
has already started to become a growth limitor not only for the PC market but
for the economy as a whole," McClure said.
According to him, only the BPO industry had benefited from "flattening of the
world". The rest did not benefit as they did not have access to broadband
Internet.
"Once you have the infrastructure in place, new ideas and business will take
shape and drive India's success as the country has great entrepreneurial
skills,"
he said.
Intel's biggest role in India would be to continue to develop affordable
Internet platforms with latest technology, McClure said.
"The industry and government have to work together. Like, we are developing
Wimax technology for India. But its success depends on how much spectrum is
allocated. So the government must come out with its spectrum policy fast,"
McClure said.
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