Agilent sets up Centre of Excellence in B'lore

Bangalore, Nov 13: Agilent Technologies Inc today expanded its Indian operations by opening a Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis (LSCA) Centre of Excellence in the city, the first in India and ninth in the world.

The investment in Bangalore was in addition to a recently announced US Dollar 30 million investment to establish a state-of-the-art campus near Manesar in Haryana.

The Bangalore facility would house Agilent's core platform products, including gas chromatographs and liquid chromatographs, both stand-alone and in combination with mass spectrometry systems.

The initiative was expected to aid in technology demonstration, pre-and post-sales application support, and customer education, training and sample analysis, according to a company release here.

Agilent LSCA Vice-President Nick Roelofs said ''India is among the most important markets for Agilent globally, especially since India is a significant base for high-end R and D in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. High-end test and measurement equipment will play a significant role in this regard, as product standardisation is critical. It will continue to be Agilent's endeavour to introduce next-generation technologies that address automation productivity and efficiency in scientific and engineering operations to Indian customers.'' Speaking after the inauguration, Agilent Technologies India President Venkatesh Valluri said that ''in addition to this facility, we also plan to increase our focus on providing cutting-edge technology services to our customers and partners.''

UNI