Cisco's India globalization center celebrates 1-year anniversary, but hiring freeze clouds celebration

By Jim Duffy on Mon, 12/01/08 - 6:30pm.

It's been a year since Cisco Chief Globalization Officer, Wim Elfrink pulled up stakes and moved his family to Bangalore, India, prompting his mother-in-law to ask what the family had done to deserve it. Elfrink's move signals Cisco's desire to move 20% of its senior management to the Bangalore Globalization Center and the company is planning similar centers in other countries, including China and Mexico. India is a huge focus for Cisco, which refers to its Bangalore quarters as Cisco East to Cisco West in Cisco's corporate HQ in San Jose, Calif.

During the time that the Bangalore center has been open, Cisco said it would triple headcount in India to 10,000 by 2010, pump $1.1 billion into the country, and launched an initiative to develop CCIE talent in the country. (Read more Cisco Subnet blog postings about Cisco and India here, and read Cisco's press release about the globalization center here.)

However, even Cisco India has been forced to cut cost, along with its other regions. DNA Money is reporting that Cisco India has instituted a hiring freeze. According to the report: "A Cisco India spokesperson told DNA Money the company is currently reviewing all discretionary spending, including headcount-related costs, travel/meeting expenses and reprioritising spending."

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