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NYSE-listed Belden Inc., a provider of IT infrastructure solutions, has invested Rs 100 crore in a new Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) in Bengaluru to drive market-ready solutions from this centre. Belden is expected to hire about 100-150 employees for this centre over the next two years across areas like technical consulting, services and support, events, and project management.
The Bengaluru centre holds significance as this is the first such centre in India, following the successful launch of CICs in Stuttgart, Germany; Santa Clara, California; Shanghai, China; and Chicago, Illinois.
“The centre is aimed at allowing customers to co-create and test their solutions before using them in a live environment,” Ashish Chand, president and CEO, Belden, told Business Standard.
India is a significant market for Belden. “Last year, our business in India grew about 35 per cent, significant as compared to our growth rates in other parts. Asia-Pacific is around 15 per cent of our global business, India about a third. However, with this CIC and other upcoming expansion plans, I expect India to keep growing at about 30 per cent over the next five years,” Chand said.
Talent availability in Bengaluru with a combination of software and hardware expertise is driving Belden to set up their centre in the city, Chand said. “Our solutions architect needs to have vertical-specific expertise. Currently, starting the CIC with 30-40 people in the Bengaluru facility, the fastest growth will come here. We expect this centre to reach a workforce of 100-150 over 12-20 months,” he added.
Spread across 15,000 square feet, the new CIC facility is focused on key business goals such as innovation, customisation, and digitisation, and providing a space where solutions can be crafted and validated onsite to simulate real-world challenges.
“The CIC will play a pivotal role in addressing the evolving market of automation and smart infrastructure in India. This centre in Bengaluru reflects Belden's dedication to investing in solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers in India,” Chand said.
