Carl Zeiss opens technology center in India

German optics company Carl Zeiss AG opened its first Global Capability Center (GCC) in India on Monday and plans to double the number of its employees there over the next three years.

The center in the southern Indian megacity of Bengaluru will support functions related to cloud computing, cyber security and network operations and also develop software services for medical technology subsidiary Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, according to a Reuters news agency report. The center is expected to leverage the large pool of IT talent in Bengaluru to drive technology solutions and expand Zeiss' global research and development capabilities. The strategy aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of cutting-edge products, including AI-driven diagnostics and smart optical devices. According to Reuters, India's GCCs have "evolved from low-cost outsourcing hubs to local subsidiaries of global companies" in recent years. India is now home to over 4,000 such centers, almost 40 percent of which are in Karnataka, the state whose capital is Bengaluru.

Numerous new hires planned

Carl Zeiss currently employs 2,500 people in India. The company plans to increase this number to 5,000 over the next three years. Among other things, the company wants to double the number of its highly qualified engineers from the current 600 by 2025, according to Dhaval Radia, Chief Financial Officer of the company's India division, quoted by Indian media. According to Radia, most of the new hires will be in the areas of applied research, medical technology, software services, enterprise IT, including cyber security, IT and network maintenance, digital transformation. The aim is also to find talent capable of developing future technologies and systems for the entire Asia-Pacific market, except for China.

In addition to technical staff, employees will also be hired for a new Zeiss production facility in Bengaluru. This was built at a cost of 30 billion rupees (334 million euros) and is scheduled to go into operation in 2025. The new plant is the largest investment the Zeiss Group has ever made outside Germany. Carl Zeiss has steadily expanded its commitment in India over the last 25 years. According to the company, it currently has three production facilities in India and around 40 sales and service branches in the country.

In addition to the research and development program, Zeiss India announced a collaboration with the government of Karnataka to facilitate access to quality eye care in the rural areas of the state, according to the Indian daily Business Standard. The Aloka Vision Program aims to provide affordable eye care to 100,000 people over the next three years.

(akn)