Search the Internet            Tips

Cisco open to acquisitions in India

Global Internet networking equipment maker Cisco Systems is open to acquisitions in India and helping early stage firms in the country, Business Standard reported on Wednesday.

The financial newspaper quoted Cisco chief executive officer John Chambers as saying in an interview from the United States that the company would look for new product lines or ways to enhance its existing products through acquisitions.

"We are going to look for opportunities in India", the paper quoted Chambers, who is scheduled to visit India next week. "If we find the right company, we will acquire it. We are currently looking at acquiring companies in the optical and wireless Internet area", he said.

In addition to its own software development activities in Bangalore, Cisco has more than 1,500 engineers in three Indian companies dedicated to this project. "For the time being, the role that I see for India is more from the point of view of research and development and a sales support base for the region," Chambers said.

The Cisco head also spoke of doing business with Indian startups. "We are looking at incubating in India," he said. "We are in the process of understanding how to build relationships and how startups are coming up in India," he said.

In a separate e-mail interview published in Times of India newspaper, Chambers said he was not worried about a slowdown in spending on technology in the US and Europe, saying it was normal to have fluctuations in the market.

"These fluctuations might last from a key perspective, for a couple of quarters. But I do think there will be a blip here and there will be a cutback in capital spending but it will come back and will be stronger than ever," Chambers said.

Tell us what you think of this report