India a centre for Philips health care expansion.

India seems to be playing a crucial role in the effort of Philips, the Netherlands-based formerly entirely electronics and electricals company, for a global transformation to become a health and wellbeing company.

Health care generates 45 per cent of the company's revenue. Philips recently announced Pune as global headquarters for its surgery business. Though the company does not give a further break-up, Ronald Tabaksblat, senior vice-president, Philips Healthcare, said surgery is a significant chunk of this segment.

'It is good to have an organisation in the emerging market, as it also brings dedicated focus to that market. The surgery business is a very mature one in the mature economies but a lot of work is happening in the emerging economies. The surgery business is a significant chunk of Philips' health care division,' he said.

As part of the transformation, Philips changed the name of its health care division in Pune to Healthcare Innovation Centre (HIC) from its earlier Development Manufacturing Centre. For Philips, the Pune-based HIC is the only such centre worldwide. It does have an innovation campus in Banglaore but this caters to all its product ranges, across categories of health care, consumer lifestyle and lighting, and focusing more on the software and services aspect.

BS