Premium car multimedia system maker Caska is planning to set up a R&D centre in India by next year to tap the growing automobile market in the country.

The R&D facility will entail an investment of nearly Rs 100 crore.

Owned by China-based Coagent Electronic S&T Co Ltd, Caska entered into a joint venture with Kolkata-based Auto Trendz in 2010 to market multimedia products offering navigation, entertainment and global positioning system (GPS) support.

“We will set up a R&D centre in India by the end of 2013 either in Bangalore or Chennai with an investment of Rs 100 crore,” Mr Neeraj Banka, Director, Auto Trendz, told the media during the launch of its new ‘E-car Series' products in Kolkata on Thursday.

The R&D centre in India would eventually cater to Caska's Asian market, Mr Banka pointed out.

E-car Series

Placed in the premium segment, E-car Series has features starting from automatic ‘tyre pressure monitoring system' to live news updates using 3G Internet connection.

This product is priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000. Caska is also in talks with two major Indian car manufacturers. “We will have tie-ups with two big Indian car manufacturing companies in two month's time,” Mr Banka said, adding that the company is eyeing a customer base of 50,000 in India by December next year.

The India market is one of the largest in the world for ‘car infotainment' products as the automobile industry here is witnessing a rapid growth and happens to be the ninth largest in the world, he pointed out.

>ayan.pramanik@thenhindu.co.in

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