3Com Corporation vice president (worldwide sales/carrier networks business)Roger J Manka told The Financial Express that the software development andR&D centres would be set up either directly by the company or in technicalpartnership with professional service organisations in India. "We are yet tofinalise investment, location and other details. We will take a finaldecision in this regard within a month,'' he said.

Mr Manka said the centre would concentrate on third generation wirelesssolutions and products. It would initially have a strength of 25 engineers.The company currently has five such R&D centres across the globe.

Commenting on the exponential growth of ISP and carrier market in India, hesaid, "We are on a hyper growth mode in India. The country being a crucialmarket, we will work with carrier firms leveraging on its deregulationpolicies," he said.

Mr Manka said worldwide, wireless data services, broadband, cable and DSLsegments were growing exponentially. The global wireless data market -currently pegged at $10 million - is expected to touch $300 million-markduring the end of the calendar 2001. In India, the segment was growing at150 per cent, he said.

Commworks to set up its first overseas R&D centre in India In Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA) market, 3Com has a market share of 95 per cent.According to CommWorks country manager Vijay Yadav, 3Com India has targetedto post a turnover of around $80 million during the fiscal (June-May)against $30 million last year. Globally, the company posted $3.4 billion.``We will invest 15 per cent of our total revenue in the Indian market,'' MrYadav said.

CommWorks currently has a global strength of 1,780 people of which 850people are deployed on R&D-related activities.