A Microsoft Corporation laboratory will join hands with state-run Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC) to build Indian language computing, a top company official said here Friday.

"We are discussing specific projects and the timeline for their execution. The projects with C-DAC include research on multilingual web search, browsing and indexing," Microsoft Research India managing director P. Anadan told reporters at the company's new research facility here.

Microsoft Research India is also in the process of drawing up a framework to collaborate with other Indian academic and scientific organisations.

As part of its commitment to accelerate innovation in computer science and software engineering, it partners with 13 top Indian universities. Currently, it is working with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay on a landslide detection project that uses wireless sensors to monitor landslide-prone areas.

Similarly, it is associated with IIIT-Bangalore and MIT to investigate the impact of computing technology in agriculture.

Earlier, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran unveiled the new research facility in the presence of Microsoft chief technology officer Craig Mundie and other officials.

Christened Scientia (meaning "knowledge" in Latin), the Indian facility is the global software major's third basic research facility outside the US.

Microsoft Research India is engaged in five core areas - multilingual systems, digital geographics, hardware and communications, technology for emerging markets and rigorous software engineering.

"The lab is an integral part of our plans to develop technologies of the future. We believe there is a great deal of world-class research talent in this country. The setting up of the research lab is an affirmation of our commitment to India," Mundie said.

In the first eight months of its operations, Microsoft Research India has grown to 45 people, including full-time research scientists, interns and support staff.