Several of India’s largest technology and manufacturing companies have outlined plans to invest a combined $66.78 million in new and expanded operations in the Philippines, in a series of commitments the government says signals growing confidence in the country as an investment base. The announcements covered electronics manufacturing, information technology and business services, spanning both new facilities and additions to existing footprints.
Electronics firm VVDN Technologies is weighing an investment of between $10 million and $50 million to build an assembly and testing facility that would create about 500 manufacturing jobs. The company is considering several possible sites, among them Subic and the First Philippine Industrial Park in Laguna, as it evaluates where to locate the operation.
Business services provider Hinduja Global Solutions plans to spend $6 million on staffing solutions centers in Metro Manila, generating an estimated 1,200 skilled positions. Technology group HCLTech pointed to $10 million in ongoing investments, while Cognizant said it expects to add between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs over the next three years. Cognizant is scouting locations in Tarlac, Clark, Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete and Urdaneta.
The pledges were disclosed during engagements attended by President Marcos, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, who serves as the administration’s investment czar, and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque.
“India’s leading technology and manufacturing companies are recognizing the Philippines as a competitive destination for high-value investments,” Go said, pointing to the mix of manufacturing and services reflected in the new pledges.
The commitments span both advanced manufacturing and knowledge-based services, two sectors the government has repeatedly sought to strengthen as it courts foreign capital. Their geographic spread, ranging from established industrial hubs near Manila to emerging urban centers across the Visayas, Mindanao and northern Luzon, reflects an effort to distribute investment and employment beyond the capital region.
Combined, the projects could deliver several thousand new jobs across manufacturing and services, ranging from the roughly 500 factory roles tied to VVDN’s proposed facility to the 3,000 to 5,000 positions Cognizant expects to fill over the coming three years, alongside the 1,200 skilled jobs projected by Hinduja Global Solutions. The government has cast the interest from Indian firms as evidence of the Philippines’ appeal as a destination for high-value investment.
