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New Delhi, Oct 2: Internet major Yahoo is expanding its presence in India with plans to launch up to six new portals in regional languages and acquire or enter into partnership with an Indian company.

The company will also increase headcount at its R&D centre in Bangalore to 1,000 from current 800 by the end of this year.

"The company is planning to launch new portals in about two to six Indian regional languages and an announcement to this effect is expected in the next few weeks," a company spokesperson said.

Yahoo would add 200 software engineers at its R&D centre at Bangalore, taking the total headcount to 1,000 by the end of the year, the official said.

The spokesperson said Yahoo is in discussions with various Indian companies for partnerships and acquisitions and a decision to this effect is expected in the next six to10 months.

 
However, the official declined to divulge further details about the investments lined up for India.

"The investments will be made depending upon the opportunities which arise," the company official said.

Yahoo had recently made an equity investment of 8.65 million dollars in matrimonial portal Bharatmatrimony.com.

The company is also expanding its R&D centre in Bangalore and has acquired a new building for the expansion.

The Indian R&D centre of Yahoo is the largest centre for the company outside the US and employs about 10 per cent of company's total workforce, the spokesperson said.

The official did not say whether the portals in regional languages would be an extension to its existing ones or will be new.

Yahoo has also launched its Search Marketing solution for Indian marketers and advertisers to help their businesses and consumers connect with each other.

"The key area of focus of Yahoo Search Marketing (YSM) in India is to tap the small and medium businesses, which constitute a major portion of the market," Yahoo Search Marketing India General Manager Sundeep Deshpande said.

Yahoo would use "high touch model" to educate SMB's customers and also has plans to introduce YSM in vernacular languages.

YSM has already been employed by marketeers in 23 countries to address their business needs.

The company has also entered into a tie-up with MSN to provide interoperability between the company's two messengers.