Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Samsung, a top South Korean business and industrial chaebol, has set its sight on Bangladesh’s IT potentials and now plans to set up a software research and development centre in the country.
The Korean chaebol, meaning an economic power house, has grasped the untold potentials of Bangladesh’s IT and software sector—particularly the growing availability of young software developers in country, New Age, a local newspaper, reported quoting a highly-placed source.
“We want to come in with investment and utilize them,” the source said dropping a broad hint, requesting anonymity.
He said the Korean electronic, cell phone and IT giant has already embarked on the ground work to acquire licence for investment and other initial requirements for the project.
A camp office for Samsung’s proposed venture has been set up at Samsung Dhaka branch that now mainly deals marketing of Samsung mobile sets and electronic appliances.
“The Samsung software centre in Bangladesh will be a separate business entity apart from their existing businesses here,” said an IT business partner of Samsung in Dhaka. “They are working for acquiring a licence from the Board of Investment for the project.”
He also said Samsung planned to develop and outsource mobile application software, gaming software and other varieties of software to Bangladesh.
Samsung IT hardware, especially computer monitors, hard disks and other accessories, have a leading position in Bangladesh market. Its electronic appliances like TV sets, refrigerators and air-conditioning sets also have a significant market shares here.
Sales growth for Samsung mobile sets in the local market is expanding sharply in recent months and it has already grabbed 15 per cent of local market share of the high-end and mid-end markets where Nokia controls more than half of the market share, the newspaper reported.
BBN/SSR/SI/AD-09Aug10-11:33 am (BST)
