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Energy services firm Wood Group is to build on its presence in India after opening a new £750,000 engineering hub near the capital, New Delhi.

Wood said the hub would create up to 100 new jobs in India and provide a "gateway" for highly skilled engineers to join the company.

The project is being supported by Scottish Development International.

Aberdeen-based Wood Group already employs 130 people in India, where it has operated since 2000.

Regional director David Clark said: "Wood Group is in a strong position globally and we are seeing a huge demand for highly skilled and experienced engineers.

"Operating in a highly competitive industry, we need to think innovatively about how we can move skills around, transfer expertise and develop global hubs of engineering excellence to service our global business.

"We have been looking at where some of the world's best engineering talent is based and the pedigree of engineering skills in India is especially high."

He added: "This development provides a gateway for Wood Group to bring new skilled and talented engineers into our global organisation and deliver enhanced engineering, operations and maintenance services to oil and gas production and pipeline assets."

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop, who toured the facility during an official visit to India, welcomed the expansion of Wood Group's Indian operations.

"Wood Group is a significant player in the energy sector and a champion of Scotland's international growth," she said.

"Their expansion demonstrates a continued strengthening of business ties between our two countries, and highlights the appetite of Scottish companies to develop into Indian markets."