Zebra Technologies launches new R&D centre in Bengaluru

Zebra Technologies has introduced a new research and development (R&D) centre at Bagmane Solarium City in Bangalore, which is set to be Zebra’s largest in Asia Pacific (APAC) centre.

The new R&D centre, spanning approximately 250,000 square feet, will combine two of its existing research facilities in Bengaluru under one roof. Upon its completion in the second half of 2023, the new facility can house about 1,500 employees and will focus on the R&D of Zebra’s device software portfolio and antuit.ai demand forecasting, inventory planning and price optimisation solutions.

The R&D centre in Bengaluru will complement its Pune-based R&D facility that focuses on Reflexis workforce management and task management solutions. Earlier this year, Zebra completed the acquisition of Massachusetts-based Reflexis Systems, which provides workforce management software, the company said in a statement.

“While the global macroeconomic situation may have increased business uncertainty, enterprises are expected to continue investing in critical solutions to maintain the quality of customer service such as supply chain management and execution as well as customer management,” said Rajnish Gupta, Vice President & Head for India and Sub-Continent business, Zebra Technologies.

“Given the need to adapt to changes and disruptions more effectively, enterprises recognise the need for advanced solutions that can be achieved through constant R&D, to help them address complex supply chain challenges and volatile marketplaces,” he added.   

The company sees a lot of potential in India and has consistently invested in the APAC region. In 2021, Zebra expanded its APAC headquarters in Singapore to incorporate advanced facilities such as a print R&D centre, a new global enablement centre and the largest Zebra Experience Center in APAC. The advanced facilities are designed to offer a world-class resource for Zebra’s customers, partners, and key stakeholders in the region — including India — and to educate them on Zebra’s cutting-edge technology.  

“Zebra typically spends about 10% of our global revenue on R&D and have expanded our products and solutions portfolio through strategic acquisitions of companies like antuit.ai and Reflexis Systems to better cater to the different challenges faced today by our customers,” said Prasad Kasinathan, Vice President of Engineering for India and Sri Lanka, Zebra Technologies.   

“The strategic expansion of our new R&D centre will enable us to tap into the vast pool of engineering talent who are readily available in India,” he added.

Global spending by engineering groups on R&D is expected to rise in 2022, and that trend will trickle down to India’s sizeable outsourced engineering research and development market, according to a May 2022 report by Nasscom and consulting firm Deloitte. 

According to the study, 85% of the companies surveyed use a global capability centre (GCC) for engineering R&D, while nearly half make use of an engineering service providers. India is alongside China among the top destinations for outsourcing.  

US-based semiconductor equipment supplier Lam Research for example has set up its second research and development (R&D) facility in India in September. In an interview with Mint, Rangesh Raghavan, corporate vice president and general manager of Lam Research India, said that the new facility will help the company’s engineers complete designs locally and reduce reliance on its American counterparts. 

KS Viswanathan, Vice President of Industry Initiatives at Nasscom, believes that India continues to be the “destination of choice due to the availability of key skills and talent at scale. India also has favourable government incentives, eminent universities to source talent from, and a cutting-edge start-up culture”.