DEERFIELD, ILL. — Mondelez International, Inc. has opened its new global technical center in India located in Thana, Maharashtra. The facility is part of the company’s strategy to invest $65 million in developing a global network of technical hubs to “support a growth-oriented innovation agenda,” Mondelez said.

“With these technical centers, we’re focusing our investment in research, equipment and capabilities, driving innovation to accelerate our growth,” said Robin S. Hargrove, executive vice-president of research, development and quality (R.D.Q.) for Mondelez. “Our R.D.Q. hubs will improve speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while increased scale will enable us to address evolving consumer needs more quickly. We are delighted that one of our global technical centers is based in India, which has one of the best technical and scientific capabilities in the world.”

The new 129,000-square-foot facility has been set up with an investment of $15 million and will include a pilot plant, a packaging creative studio and a range of laboratories for technical research and development. A team of about 150 will collaborate at the new technical center, which will support new products and technologies for the company’s global brands in chocolate and beverages. It also will focus on improving consumer science, packaging and productivity.

“Our mission at Mondelez International is simple — to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way,” said Maurizio Brusadelli, executive vice-president and president of AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) for Mondelez. “Our global Technical Center network is crucial to support this. Our AMEA region hosts three global technical centers — the other two being in China and Singapore — demonstrating that our dynamic markets are at the heart of the company’s growth strategy. Our investment in the Thane Technical Center further emphasizes the importance of India to our global business.”

The India hub joins nine other Mondelez International technical centers already in operation around the world, including East Hanover, N.J., in the United States; Curitiba in Brazil; Bournville and Reading in the U.K.; Wroclaw in Poland; Singapore and Suzhou in China; Saclay in France; and Munich in Germany.