ARM to expand in India, board meets there

Processor technology licensor ARM, which has a 120-member team in India plus 25 contract engineers, has said it will grow in headcount faster in the country than anywhere else.

"We have grown ahead of our plans for the country in technology and commercial terms and as systems companies such as Nokia are setting up manufacturing operations in India, we only expect to grow here," said Sir Robin Saxby, chairman, ARM Holdings plc.

"We have not finished on our plans for India. We are looking at expansion," he said, adding that ARM is holding a board meeting in Bangalore, the first time it is doing so in India. "You cannot drive a business sitting at a desk in Cambridge," he said adding that India's growing market and design strength were among the reasons for holding the meeting here.

Among the reasons for expanding development in India is that it has an intellectual property protection regime in place making India more suitable for business than China, though both countries are important design and marketing destinations, Saxby said.

Four Indian companies, Wipro Ltd, HCL Technologies, Mindtree Consulting and Sasken Communications run ARM-approved design centers and the total ARM engineering community in the country is 5,000 strong.

- K.C. Krishnadas

EE Times