BANGALORE, INDIA: Dr. Gopichand Katragadda (''Gopi'') will lead GE's India Technology Center as  managing director and will take on this role with immediate effect.

Gopi takes over from Sanjay Correa who moved back to the US on a new assignment in GE. Gopi, who will be based in Bangalore, will take forward the responsibility of building the technology legacy of the Center, which holds the distinction of being the first and largest integrated multidisciplinary Research and Development Center outside the US.

Gopi's appointment is testimony to GE's commitment to build a strong leadership team in India.

''I have witnessed the best of technologies emerging from the center and take this as a great opportunity to work holistically across businesses, with the brightest minds at work. I look forward to working closely with the technology and commercial teams at GE India with a focus on local innovation and also accelerate the company's delivery of advanced technology to our global customers,'' said Dr. Gopi Katragadda.

''I would like the GE India Technology Center to be considered as both a GE asset and a national asset, developing technology to solve the world's and India's toughest problems in a responsible way,'' he added.

John Flannery, president and CEO, GE India, commented, ''Strong leaders like Gopi strengthen our commitment to lead in the "next generation" of technology. He will help drive growth with technical excellence across businesses by enhancing technical capability, increasing new product development and investing in research.''

Gopi has had a dynamic, 10-year long career at GE's India Technology Center. For the past three years, Gopi served as the general manager for GE Energy Infrastructure's India Engineering Operations, overseeing 2,000 employees in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Prior to that role, he was the operations manager for Global Research in Bangalore. Gopi joined GE in 2002 as manager of the Industrial Imaging and Modeling Lab for Global Research. He earned his Bachelor's in Electronics Engineering from Bangalore University and both his Master's and Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University, said a press release.

 Speaking on the new appointment, Mark Little, senior vice president and chief technology officer, GE Global Research said, ''Gopi has an in-depth understanding of the Center's expertise and innovation focus and has demonstrated qualities of a true, inclusive leader. I am confident about his skills and capabilities to take the India Center to our next phase of growth to create solutions for tomorrow that are applicable for India and the world.''