US-based cab aggregator Uber is reportedly planning of setting up its biggest hub in Bengaluru, India and for same the company is in talks to take on lease about 700,000 sq ft office in the city.

According to a report by Bangalore Mirror, the new facility will help Uber to expand its product and engineering centre and map department in the city to customize solutions for the local market.

Uber, which was once world's most valuable startup, will be largely investing in office space with the aim of using the hub to expand its products, by using the new office space as an engineering centre and a map department to find solutions for transportation in the city. As per an Economic Times report, Uber India Systems, the marketing head for the cab aggregators, will be closing the deal within 2-3 months.

Uber India had set up its engineering centre in 2016 to support its operations in India. The new facility will see Uber consolidate and expand its operations in Bengaluru. In the past two years, the company has leased around 300,000 sq ft office space in Outer Ring Road of Bengaluru.

Interestingly, while the American firm Uber is setting its biggest hub in India, the home-country of rival firm Ola, Ola on other hand is setting up its advance tech center in home-country of Uber.

To recall, last December Uber had announced about its plan to make India the global capital of its research & development (R&D) activities. With 10 R&D centres across the world, Uber's India R&D unit is only one in Asia. Uber also plans to use India facility to incubate startups that help in solving mobility and transport problems as part of its strategy to turn India into a laboratory of the world, for global research and development (R&D).

Uber India, which currently employs over 500 people in its Hyderabad and Bengaluru units, is seeing it tech teams growing very fast and according to the company, the number is likely to go up by at least 50% by the year-end. Demand for commercial real estate continues to be robust in India, led by rising occupancy levels in both core office markets, including business districts, and upcoming growth corridors.

In February last year, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was on India tour and during his visit he met several Indian government officials, regulators and the company employees. In his visit, Khosrowshahi met India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation, and talked about possible partnerships between the Uber and India, including a flying car collaboration.

Bangalore, as a global startup hub, is attracting number of tech startups from the U.S. Last year in June, California, -based Tala, which is named in one of the fastest growing FinTech startups in the world by Forbes, announced the launch of its first engineering hub in Bangalore, India in order to broaden access to credit and financial services.
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