HP Labs, IIT Madras on a joint R&D

BANGALORE: HP Labs India and IIT Madras have agreed on a joint research and

development lab aimed at developing technologies for emerging economies. HP Labs

is the company's central research organization and recently launched operations

in India based out of Bangalore.

In a technical symposium held during the inauguration, presenters included

researchers from HP Labs headquarters in Palo Alto, California, USA, discussing

low-cost appliances and systems that can be used to capture and distribute

images and other content.

"This collaboration is in keeping with our stated intention of forging

strong ties with Indian research institutions," said HP Labs India,

director, Srinivasan Ramani.

"HP's vision of focusing R&D to the unique needs of emerging markets

is completely aligned with what we have been pursuing for several years",

said IIT Madras, director of the Tenet Project group, Ashok Jhunjhunwala.

"With our complementary strengths, I am confident we can make great

progress."

HP Labs India is dedicated to generating usable, economically sustainable

technology solutions for the country through understanding the relevant social,

cultural, economic and technological drivers. The research conducted will also

help HP's World-inclusion efforts - a business initiative with a social mission

to bridge the digital divide and broaden access to social and economic

opportunities in traditionally underserved markets.

HP has also recently announced a three-year alliance with the government of

Andhra Pradesh to form an e-inclusion community in the Kuppan constituency of

Chitoor district. The Kuppan project is designed to create a variety of

IT-enabled solutions aimed at economic development.