Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the lab will provide the CCIE hands-on testing, leading to certification for networking professionals in the area of routing and switching.

``As the worldwide leader in internetworking technology, Cisco offers information-intensive organisations and professionals the guidance and support they need to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industry. The lab is a step towards increasing the level of networking expertise in the country,'' said Cisco India and Saarc region president Anil Batra in a statement.

The test lab facility is the first of its kind in India and will enable savings in terms of cost, effort and time for the networking professionals who had to earlier travel abroad for such lab tests. The next routing and switching CCIE lab examination at the Bangalore facility is scheduled for December. A practice lab facility for CCIE lab exam candidates is also expected to start soon.

The minimum qualification for the CCIE lab exam is a successful clearance of the CCIE qualification exam administered through Cisco's testing partner, Sylvan Prometric. The company has recommended that individuals have prior hands-on experience in troubleshooting and managing networks in order to pass this lab component of the certification.