Sony Corp. plans to set up research and development centers for semiconductors in China and India later this year, according to company officials. The new outlets will primarily design advanced large-scale integrated circuits for digital household appliances, the officials said Thursday.
Candidate sites include Bangalore in southern India and the suburbs of Beijing -- locations where high-technology companies are concentrated.
Sony is studying whether to set up the centers independently or jointly with local concerns. China and India are expected to become leading markets for digital appliances. Sony presently has chip-related research and development centers in Japan, Britain and the United States.