BANGALORE: Portal Software Inc, which makes billing software mainly for telecom companies, has launched a development centre in Bangalore. "The announcement of this centre with close to 40 developers coincides with Portal's increased direct presence in India through the appointment of dedicated local sales and marketing teams," the firm said in a statement to the media.

The company said more than a dozen engineers had already relocated to Bangalore from its headquarters in California. While core product development will continue to be done out of Portal's U.S. facilities, the Indian centre will extend the company's flagship product, the statement said.

India's mobile telephone service industry is currently one of the fast growing in the world, aided by liberalization and intense competition between state-run and private operators.

Portal, which has been catering to the Indian market through its Singapore and Asia-Pacific operations, counts AOL Time Warner, the world's largest media company, and telecom giants Vodafone and Telstra among its clients. Portal Software joins a growing number of global firms that are setting up similar centres in India, taking advantage of its low-cost software workforce.

© Reuters