General Electric has announced that it would invest $200 million towards setting up an infrastructure equipment facility. While the company has not disclosed the plant location, it is learnt that GE would hire over 3,000 people this year for the new venture.

Reports suggest that $50 million would be initially invested in building a manufacturing facility, creating 3,000 new jobs. As the business develops, the investment could go up to $200 million. The new facility will be multimodal and multi-business, which means that several businesses of GE would share the location.

Finer details of the new project would be announced over the next three months, it is learnt. Construction on the new facility, which will have a built-up area of 4 lakh sq. ft initially, would begin in the July-September quarter.

GE is also considering the option of manufacturing some of the products from its global product lines in the manufacturing facility in India. A decision on that is probably three to six months away.

The expansion would also depend on the company being able to expand its locomotive business in India. "Expansion of the facility is contingent on a couple of things we are studying right now. One is the ability to make components and engine parts for the rail tender. So that decision is concurrent with what happens in the facility," Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman, GE, was quoted saying.

While GE's energy business would be the principal user of the facility, it would be used for health and aviation as well.