Mahindra Opens U.S. Tech Center

India's Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has opened its first technical center in North America to provide engineering services to auto industry customers in the Detroit area.

The facility in suburban Troy has an initial staff of 25 engineers, but Mahindra says the center's employment could soon double. The center, Mahindra's first outside India, is operated by the company's Mahindra Engineering Services unit.

Mahindra has sold farm tractors in the U.S. for 18 years and has an assembly plant in Texas. But its attempt to expand into pickup trucks failed two years ago after a dispute with its intended U.S. distributor.

The company tells reporters it offers a "frugal" approach to engineering that provides innovation and designed-in value. The company says its U.S. customers already include Bentley, General Motors, Navistar and Volvo.