Zebra Technologies’ second research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru is the largest for the company in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region and outside the United States. The company also aims to achieve double-digit revenue growth from India by next year.
“Recently, India has shown notable resilience compared to other markets, even amidst the global decline driven by significant destocking from resellers. While many regions experienced sharper drops in 2023, the India region was comparatively resilient, signalling stronger market stability. It has maintained positive momentum, contributing a substantial share of the regional market. For last year specifically, its performance was among the strongest in the region, with minimal impact from global market trends. The APAC decline was significant because of stocking similar to what you see globally,” said Ryan Goh, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Zebra Technologies.
He added that moving into 2025, its focus on India will intensify. Zebra Technologies has also expanded its India presence this year, particularly in sales and support functions to serve the growing demand.
The R&D centre, launched in 2022, spans approximately 250,000 square feet and currently houses 1,200 employees. It will focus primarily on developing Zebra’s device software portfolio and solutions from its recent acquisition of antuit.ai, which specialises in demand forecasting, inventory planning, and price optimisation.
The new centre combines two existing research facilities in Bengaluru under one roof and complements Zebra’s existing facility in Pune, which focuses on workforce management and task management solutions through its Reflexis Systems division.
The $18.57 billion company typically allocates about 10 per cent of its global revenue to R&D. In the APAC region, it has six R&D centres, two of which are in Pune and Bengaluru. In India, Zebra Technologies has around 1,500 employees across both centres. Globally, it has 122 facilities, with 9,750 employees in 55 countries.
Prasad Kasinathan, Vice President of Engineering, India & Sri Lanka, Zebra Technologies, said, “In 2023, we invested $519 million in R&D, which accounted for 11 per cent of our revenue. We operate as part of a global R&D centre rather than separate entities for different markets. Our focus is on collaboration within our global team, alongside other teams.”
“We’ve discovered some interesting trends in India. One key area we’ve identified is e-commerce, specifically, the growing trend of quick commerce. The Indian logistics market is poised for significant growth in the coming years,” Goh added.
“Another intriguing area is manufacturing,” he said. “We’ve worked with approximately 60 per cent of the largest manufacturing companies, particularly in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) sector. Initially, our collaborations were concentrated in China, but over time, many companies have shifted operations to Vietnam, and more recently, to India. Most solutions were developed in China, and we are in the process of introducing them to the Indian market.”
The company is excited about several new initiatives, with key areas of expansion being machine vision, particularly in fixed and scanning applications, Goh said. “Another exciting area is the tablet space, where we are also growing. These new developments represent major steps forward for us, especially in markets like India and Japan, where we see strong opportunities for growth.”
The company’s India talent pool works on technologies like AI and Gen-AI. Roles range from high-level technical fellows, principal engineers, and technology leaders to directors and engineers.
“The contributions from India span the entire spectrum of the product lifecycle. India is not just a back-end support hub but plays a crucial role in our global product development strategy. The work happening here is significant and impacts our global operations. Almost all products we release globally have a touchpoint in India, especially for software development. Our Global Delivery Centre here is responsible for several technologies, from OS kernel development to application development, Java, and critical testing automation,” Kasinathan explained.
Goh noted, “Regarding our focus areas, manufacturing remains a key priority. In the Indian market, Zebra is already working with 60 per cent of top manufacturers, 60 per cent of leading e-commerce players, and 80 per cent of major retailers. Manufacturing and retail will continue to be primary focuses, alongside our engagement in the public sector.”
By region, North America (USA and Canada) is the largest market for the company, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific, and lastly, Latin America.
Zebra also has a dedicated venture capital arm known as Zebra Ventures. This corporate venture capital entity focuses on investing in early-stage companies. Zebra Ventures provides financial support, typically ranging from $1-5 million, and strategic partnerships through access to engineering resources and a distribution network.