UK’s largest retail chain, Tesco, is planning to set up a six lakh sq ft IT development/BPO centre in Bangalore at an estimated cost of US $ 6.7 mn.

Tesco has already acquired 200,000 sq ft in Whitefield near Bangalore, for the purpose and has started work on a two lakh sq ft of built-up area to be readied by November. This would allow around 350 jobs to be moved to India.

Market estimates reveal that on completion of the first phase itself, over 1000 people will be accommodated in this facility. Tesco’s Bangalore office has in fact commenced with recruitments for the purpose.

While it is believed that the new Tesco employees will be involved in payroll and bill processing related work, Company sources revealed that the facility may also be used for IT.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish healthcare major, is on the lookout for partners in India for collaboration in research.

Novo Nordisk has some experience in conducting research with Indian corporates and organisations, such as Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) at Lucknow. None of these collaborations however went very far.

The Company, nevertheless, is keen on exploring opportunities for collaborations with Indian companies in the area of R&D as well statistical management of clinical data.

Also attracting the company for alliances, is India’s immense pool of talent in the information technology area.

Alcatel plans to increase its R&D activities in India. The Company already has two R&D facilities, in Delhi and Chennai, where a lot of its software development is conducted.

CTO Neil Ransom cited India’s low costs and quality work force as the primary reasons for Alcatel’s increased investments in its Indian R&D facilities.

The Indo French joint venture Michelin Apollo Tyres is investing over US $ 10 mn in a set up in Ranjangaon in Maharashtra to produce bus and truck radial tyres.

Ranjangaon is located 55 kms from Pune, where Apollo Tyres (ATL) already has a plant manufacturing tyre tubes The unit will initially manufacture 3.5 lakh tyres, which could be scaled up to 10 lakhs over a period of time.
.
The French tyre firm Michelin will invest 51% of the US $ 10 mn while the remaining 49% will come from its Indian counterpart APL, over a period of four years. The investment comes with assurances from the state government towards power supply and tax concessions.