Intel Will Pour Yet Another $Billion Into the Indian Economy

Chip manufacturer Intel has announced that it will invest ove4r $1 billion in India during the next three years. Intel is willing to manufacture here its low-cost personal computers in a joint-venture with Indian and offshore hardware companies.

"We have committed to spend over a billion dollars spread over next three years plus. We are focusing on a number of new initiatives for enabling easy availability of personal computers (PCs) and broadband Internet in India," Intel Technology India Director for marketing and operations John A McClure said.

Intel will join forces with both Indian and foreign hardware providers such as Asustek, HCL, Wipro and Zenith in order to achieve cheap and ultra-portable devices that would basically provide access to Internet and multimedia features.

"From our India experience, we have learned that mobility is particularly what even a first time PC buyer is looking for. They want lightweight products, that could run on battery for three to four hours, is easy to store and doesn't take too much space," McClure continued.

The project has reached design stage, and the chip manufacturer is currently working on different models to meet specific market needs. The company will also introduce the new WiMax wireless technology in India, to replace and substitute for the more expensive optical fiber.

"This is the best technology to bridge the PC-broadband Internet gap in India. With three million broadband Internet subscription against a PC deployment of 35 million, India has the worst broadband-PC ratio in a large market," he said.

It is not the first time when Intel teams up with Indian companies in order to promote its technologies on the market. The chip manufacturer has previously licensed HCL, the Indian hardware vendor, to re-distribute its Classmate PCs under its own brand at slightly higher prices.

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