Bangalore, November 10 2012: Oil and Gas leader Royal Dutch Shell is to set up its third global hub for technology and innovation in Bangalore – a facility that will house up to 1,500 technology specialists who will work on some of Shell’s key projects globally. (Shell currently employs around 900 research and development staff in two separate facilities.) The new facility is spread over 40 acres at Devanhalli, near the airport.
The teams in Bengaluru currently support Shell's pioneering floating, liquefied natural gas facility (FLNG), and also giant projects such as Majnoon in Iraq, Sakhalin in Russia, Abadi in Indonesia, and Arrow in Australia. And aligning with Shell’s growth strategy for integrated gas, a new 20-strong LNG team has also been established.
Says Dr Matthias Bichsel, Director, Projects & Technology, Royal Dutch Shell: “This world-class technology hub, encompassing much of Shell's innovative scientific and engineering capability, will be the largest centre of its kind in this part of the world and fits with our strategy of building a company which is led by technology. We see a clear need to align our technology capabilities with our future growth markets. Both India and China, where we recently strengthened our technology footprint, are exciting prospects for us, as well as Asia more broadly.”
Adds Dr Yasmine Hilton, Chairman, Shell Companies in India: “Shell has been a technology pioneer for more than a century, with a history of several ‘firsts’ in India since 1928,” said. “This technology centre is a first for Shell, not just in India but in Asia and Oceania. Shell’s business model in India has proved to be very robust: it is more than just selling products to India, it's about engaging the hearts and minds of Indian people. Shell’s decision to strengthen our scale of R&D in India has been greatly influenced by the quality of talent and work that we have experienced here. The innovation developed at new technology centre in Bangalore  will be vital to Shell’s success and our endeavours to meet the energy challenges in the coming years.”
Present at the foundation stone laying event were the state Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh Nirani, the Dutch Ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Bangalore, Ian Felton, and S V Ranganath, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka .
Shell has been in India since 1928.