Alcatel-Lucent is considering moving its global services headquarters to India, spending $500 million (€402 million) over three years to do so.
The vendor said it will decide where to move the HQ in the next few weeks, with India shaping up as a main contender, the Hindu Business Line said.
CEO Ben Verwaayen said that India is an attractive option in multiple ways.
“If you look to the competition you have to bring to the world market, it'ss skills first, cost second and flexibility third. On all three counts, I think India has a great story to tell,” he told a news conference.
A move to India would mean the creation of “hundreds and hundreds” of new jobs, and the enhancement of its R&D capabilities in India to support high-end research.
He added that the company plans to make India its “fourth pillar” after France, the US and China, the Hindu reported.
In March, the firm appointed Indian managing director Vivek Mohan as head of its global services business, highlighting the growing importance of the market.