How important is research to GE?
Developing new products helps GE keep its competitive edge. We lay a lot of emphasis on R&D and innovation. Investing in downcycles is crucial to remaining competitive.
How has the R&D arm kept pace with GE’s changing business mix?
R&D has helped us continually re-work our portfolio. We have added a wind business, which we didn’t have five years ago and expanded in oil and natural gas with our sub-sea initiatives. We acquired Amersham and bailed Enron’s wind business out of bankruptcy. That business was worth $200 million then. Today, it is worth $6.5 billion.
What’s your feedback on GE’s Bangalore R&D centre?
It’s doing absolutely fabulous work; we are adding a new block, and hiring some more people to accelerate our work on magnetic resonance imaging and stroke recognition.
