MUMBAI, INDIA (Dec. 10, 11:45 a.m. ET) — DuPont Co. plans to expand its research work in India, adding staff and space to its existing center in Hyderabad.

The project will include application development capabilities for performance polymers, the company noted at the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Antec event, held Dec. 6-7 in Mumbai.

“The facility would focus on engineering plastics, specialty elastomer and lightweight application for the growing Indian automotive market,” said Pascal Ferrandez, technology manager for performance polymers for DuPont Private Ltd. The facility will focus on the India and Southeast Asia market.

Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont plans to hike employment at the center from 450 currently to about 1,000 within five years. In addition to plastics, the center handles industrial biosciences, packaging and industrial polymers, titanium technologies and protection technologies.

The center opened in November 2008 and is the company’s largest R&D center outside the United States.