Global IT services and solutions company Unisys Corporation on Wednesday launched a new technology development centre in India with an initial investment of $180 million.

Around 2,000 people will be recruited for the centre in the next five years, and it will provide software development, maintenance, business process outsourcing and technical help desk services, Cal Killen, vice-president of Unisys Global Services, told a news conference in Bangalore.

"It is our first offshore centre specifically set up as a cost centre for doing offshore work for Unisys clients," he said.

The NYSE-listed company, which has 37,000 employees, has been present in India for many years working with third party vendors such as Hexaware, NIIT and Tata Infotech.

The proposed sum of $180 million will be invested in employment and other related expenses. Unisys expects to have a headcount of 2,000 in five years, besides 1,000 people working on Unisys assignments with third party vendors, Nick Hills, director of Unisys Global Services, said.

Hills said by the end of 2006, the number of employees working in BPO operations in India is expected to double than those involved in software development. He said given the opportunities for new business that the company has, BPO business was expected to pick up faster.

Asked if the company has any plans to acquire a BPO player in India, Killen said: "It's on the table. We are investigating the opportunities."

Asked if some workers of the company would be rendered redundant due to the start of India offshore centre, he said there would be a 'small' redundancy because of offshore center as well as other reasons in future.

But Killen said India centre is working on new jobs, new work and new business and its opening would not take away jobs in the company's operations in other countries. The new Indian operation will add capacity to Unisys' global capabilities, he added.

Managing director of Unisys Global Services India, Mukul Agrawal, said the India centre would focus on application and system software, and in the BPO space, it would deal with mortgage, insurance and check payment processes.

Unisys' key Indian clients include Air India, State Bank of India, and ICICI.