Motorola to up head-count in B'lore, Hyd R

New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) Motorola India today said it will ramp up the number of engineers at its Research and Development (R&D) centres in Bangalore and Hyderabad to 4,000 till June next year, from the present 3,500.

''We are hoping to engage around 4,000 people at our R&D facilities in Bangalore and Hyderabad by the middle of next year, taking the number up from the present 3,500,'' Motorola India Pvt Ltd Mobile Devices Marketing Director Lloyd Mathias told reporters here, on the sidelines of the launch of four new colour ranges for the 'Moto Pebl' model.

Around 40 per cent of the software used by Motorola globally comes from India.

''R&D in India is important, firstly because the country has a great technology base, and secondly it is the second fastest growing market in the world after China. We will be increasing our focus in that area,'' Mr Mathias added.

Motorola had announced the setting up of a manufacturing unit at a cost of Rs 450 crore in Tamil Nadu around two weeks back.

The unit will be functional by the first quarter of 2007.

The company also plans to launch the new 'Moto Rokr', which is a music-specific entertainment phone in India, sometime before the end of the year.

''The new Moto Rokr will not look like the 'Pebl' range of phones or the Slim phones, but will have a distinct look,'' Mr Mathias said.

Asked about whether the phones were segment-specific, Mr Mathias said ''Motorola handsets are for all segments. All our handsets range between Rs 2,000 to Rs 14,500, and are affordable, and we intend to keep it that way.'' In the last 18 months, Motorola has launched the 'Moto Razr', the 'Moto Slvr' and the 'Moto Pebl' in India.

The Moto Pebl, launched in April, will now be available in four colours -- Orange, Pink, Green and Blue, in the ranges Chroma, Classic, Soft and Basics, besides the already existing Black (Rs 9,000) and Red models. The handsets will be priced at Rs 10,500.

The company has globally sold 50 million handsets of 'Moto Razr' till June this year, and the handset is doing well in India as well.

While Tennis sensation Maria Sharapova is the global brand ambassador for Motorola Inc, Bollywood heart-throb Abhishek Bachchan has been roped in to endorse the brand in India.

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