New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) Saab, a global leader in defence and security technologies, on Tuesday announced opening of a new IT engineering and development centre in Hyderabad which will contribute to the firm’s global product development in areas such as advanced software engineering and mechanical design.

“Saab takes forward its long-term commitment to India by strengthening the company’s global development capabilities and deepening its footprint in the Indian defence and security ecosystem,” the company said in a statement.

The new centre — Saab Engineering India Pvt. Ltd– will contribute to Saab’s global product development in areas such as advanced software engineering, electronic systems, industrial engineering and mechanical design, it said.

Initially staffed with a team of highly skilled Indian engineers, the entity is expected to “grow significantly” in the coming years, further reinforcing Saab’s focus on innovation, cost-efficiency, and operational excellence across its global programmes.

The new IT engineering and development centre was inaugurated by Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in India, and Jessica Oberg, CEO Combitech, a fully owned subsidiary of Saab AB, the statement said.

“The establishment of our engineering centre in Hyderabad marks a significant advancement in our collaboration with India. This centre enhances our ability to co-develop cutting-edge technologies and underscores our commitment to the ‘Make in India’ initiative by investing in local talent for the global market. We aim to empower rapid growth and value creation for Saab and other key Combitech customers, including for example the telecom sector and other core industries,” Oberg was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to Mats Palmberg, Chairman and Managing Director of Saab India Technologies, “This is a natural progression of Saab’s continued engagement with India and a milestone in building local engineering capabilities. This facility will not only support our global programmes but also support India’s aspiration to be a self-reliant defence manufacturing hub.” This new entity strengthens Saab’s global research and development footprint and supports advanced design and engineering capabilities from India, the firm said.

“Originally, the centre aimed to scale to 150 engineers over three years, but this milestone has been already achieved — reflecting the talent, robust infrastructure, and strategic alignment India offers in supporting Saab’s global growth,” it said.

The centre engages in activities such as software development, engineering services, innovation, and R&D, contributing significantly to Saab’s and other key customers’ projects and products. It offers comprehensive engineering and R&D services, focusing on software, system development, and technology solutions for the defence, aerospace, and security sectors, the statement said.

Saab, headquartered in Sweden, designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations. PTI KND ZMN