Networking giant Cisco inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in India on Friday (September 27, 2024), located in Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that will produce routing and switching products.
Ciscoโs aim with the facility is to drive $1.3 billion in revenue, while the facility is also expected to create 1,200 jobs in the State, said the company.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, as well as Dr. T.R.B Rajaa, Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries, and Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco, addressed the audience during the inauguration. They stressed on Indiaโs roughly two-decade long relationship with Cisco, the strategic importance of Tamil Nadu, and Ciscoโs commitment to the country.
Cisco partnered with Flex in Chennai to power the manufacturing facility that will focus first on Ciscoโs Network Convergence System (NCS) 540 series of routers. While Cisco did not divulge the details of its investment in the country, Mr. Robbins explained that the companyโs roadmap for India did not have an end goal of a limiting nature.
He reaffirmed Ciscoโs commitment to sustainability goals and pointed to the falling power consumption of its products over time. His team also confirmed that it will continue to audit and ensure the fair wages and working hours for factory employees.
The company acknowledged its layoffs while noting that it was shifting some investments. Cisco plans to focus on cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and related areas.
โIndia has been an important market for Cisco for nearly three decades, and we are immensely proud of our progress and partnerships here. The inauguration of a manufacturing facility in Chennai marks a significant advancement in our commitment to the region,โ said Mr. Robbins.
โThe inauguration of the Ciscoโs manufacturing facility in India producing advanced telecom equipment is a testament to the countryโs growing Atmanirbharta in the global technology landscape. Certain that the factory will strengthen Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Jiโs vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub and amplify the holistic growth of Indiaโs telecom ecosystem,โ said Mr. Scindia.
Published – September 27, 2024 05:56 pm IST