India Innovation & Engineering Center to Contribute to Global Fire & Security Leader's Growth

HYDERABAD, India, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- To meet the growing demand for innovative fire and security products in India's important infrastructure, commercial buildings and energy industries, UTC Fire & Security has announced the opening of a new Hyderabad-based India Innovation & Engineering Center. UTC Fire & Security is a global leader in fire safety and electronic security solutions and is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090819/NE63296LOGO )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090819/NE63296LOGO )

UTC Fire & Security serves more than one million customers worldwide. Its brands include Kidde®, Chubb Alba®, Edwards®, Onity®, Lenel®, Det-Tronics®, Marioff®, Silvani®, Guardfire®, and many others. The India Innovation & Engineering Center, based at Raheja Mind Space, Hyderabad, will be responsible for developing, localizing and integrating fire and security products for customers in India and supporting global product development for the company's worldwide operations.

The India Innovation & Engineering Center was officially opened by UTC Fire & Security President William Brown, who attended the event together with local executives and a team of visiting senior executives from UTC Fire & Security's global operations. Local dignitaries, government officials and key customers also attended the opening of the center.

"This is an extremely important region with tremendous opportunities and we are committed to strengthening and expanding our operations here," said Brown. "The India Innovation & Engineering Center will develop and support high technology fire and security products including detection and alarm panels, access control and video solutions, and other products for customers in the energy and commercial building segments."

Brown noted that per capita spending on fire safety protection in India is only 50 cents, compared to $3 in China and $43 in the U.S., and that there is an even greater disparity in the per capita spend on electronic security solutions.

"India's $1 billion-plus fire safety and security industry is poised for exponential growth and UTC Fire & Security has a broad range of fire and security solutions well-suited to meet the emerging needs of industrial and commercial customers," said Brown. "Our investment in new technologies positions us well to meet the demands of India's rapidly expanding infrastructure."

Anand Stanley, Managing Director, UTC Fire & Security India, said the company is committed to helping to provide safer urban environments and protect India's energy and infrastructure investments.

"We have a long-term commitment to the manufacture, installation and service of world-class technologies in India, and we are dedicated to providing fire safety and security products that will help create safe cities and protect critical assets," he said.

Prakash Bodla, Director of the India Innovation & Engineering Center, has been supporting UTC Fire & Security since March 2010 following the acquisition of GE Security. "We are very proud to be affiliated with UTC and excited to contribute to the advancement of a company with such a rich heritage of technical innovation and engineering capability," he said.

UTC Fire & Security's fire products include detection and alarm systems, suppression equipment, firefighting equipment, specialty detection, and residential and commercial fire safety products and solutions. Security products include access control, intrusion, video, and key and lock solutions. UTC Fire & Security also offers fire and security services such as design, installation, testing, inspection and monitoring of fire and security systems.

Recent projects in India include Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Plant, operated by National Thermal Power Corporation; the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited refinery, which processes 12.5 million tons of crude oil annually; and Anpara B Thermal Power Plant, operated by the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Board.

The India Engineering Center will be operated as part of UTC Fire & Security India Ltd., an Indian legal entity.

UTC Fire & Security provides fire safety and security solutions to more than 1 million customers worldwide on an annual basis and is a business unit of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), which is a diversified company whose products also include Carrier heating and air conditioning, Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems and industrial products, Otis elevators and escalators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Sikorsky helicopters and UTC Power fuel cells. United Technologies' companies employ approximately 4,500 people in 113 offices, three factories and a research facility in 60 cities throughout India. To learn more visit www.UTC.com/India. More information about UTC Fire & Security can be found at www.utcfireandsecurity.com.

SOURCE UTC Fire & Security