"This is just the beginning and this investment is just to get the venture started" stated KR Naik, managing director, D-Link India Ltd. "We are looking at various options to raise capital to feed the R&D centre as it grows" he added.

The centre, which will focus on development of Internetworking technology, access products, software and specialist chip designs related to networking products, is expected to fetch revenues to the tune of Rs 35 crore in its first year of operation.

While the key activity of the centre is the development of products which will be sold under the D-Link brand name, Naik says that the centre is also free to take up projects other than those which involve product development for D-Link. "We are in a unique position since we can develop products to be sold by D-Link in the western markets as well as adapt products to suit Indian conditions thereby catering to the huge market in India as well", explains Guneshwar Rao, director, R&D at the D-Link Infotech Centre.

"We see a huge emerging market in India especially in the area of Wide Area Network products" says John Lee, vice chairman and president, D-Link Corporation. "We especially see a big demand for Killer Applications like the ones which converge voice and data which we plan to offer at competitive prices in India" he explains.