Netscape taps into India's booming software sector

BANGALORE: Web-browsing software maker Netscape Communications, a unit of

Internet services giant America Online, launched its Indian operations on

Thursday, taking advantage of a growing pool of software developers.

"We see India becoming a key development site for Netscape and

AOL," Maneesh Dhir, managing director of Netscape Communications India Pvt.

Ltd., told a news conference.

Netscape India will employ more than 100 engineers who will develop new

generation software products for Netscape and AOL.

"Indian software talent is quite sophisticated in emerging technologies

and will bring us critical strength," Dhir said.

He declined to give details of the investment in Netscape India but said the

local unit was a 100 per cent owned indirect subsidiary of AOL.

Netscape India will initially work on the enterprise products of iPlanet

E-commerce Solutions, a joint venture between Netscape and Sun Microsystems Inc.

iPlanet provides electronic commerce services and software.

(C) Reuters Limited 2000.