Scindia Launches Cisco Manufacturing Unit in Tamil Nadu to Drive Telecom Growth

Tamil Nadu, Sep 28 (KNN) India is positioning itself as a global hub for telecommunications equipment manufacturing, according to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Speaking at the inauguration of Cisco’s new manufacturing unit in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on Friday, Scindia highlighted the transformative shift the sector is experiencing, driven by foreign direct investment (FDI) and technological advancements.

As part of its ambitious strategy, India is setting up specialized telecommunication equipment manufacturing zones to attract further FDI. 

Scindia pointed out that India has seen remarkable growth in mobile phone production, with exports of mobile devices reaching Rs 1.28 lakh crore under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. 

This marks a significant leap from earlier years when the country relied heavily on imports and exported just Rs 1,500 crore worth of mobile phones. “Now, India is the second-largest mobile phone producer globally, with 300 million units manufactured annually,” Scindia noted.

The inauguration of the CISCO-FLEX manufacturing facility, a critical part of India’s push toward becoming a telecom manufacturing hub, was a key highlight of the event. 

The facility will manufacture Network Convergence System routers and create high-quality jobs in the region. These products will not only serve the domestic market but will also be exported to global destinations, including Mexico, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Scindia emphasised the government's reforms in FDI norms, which have fuelled the sector's rapid growth, with USD 39 billion in FDI investments. 

He projected a similar revolution in telecom equipment manufacturing, much like what has been seen in the mobile phone sector. 

"We achieved the fastest 5G rollout in India, covering 98% of our cities," Scindia remarked, indicating that India’s telecom infrastructure is poised for further expansion.

The minister also visited Nokia’s Solutions & Networks campus in Chennai, where he witnessed Industry 4.0 technologies—such as private wireless networks, AI, and AR/VR—revolutionising telecom manufacturing. 

Scindia lauded Nokia’s role in advancing high-tech manufacturing and reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting innovation as India moves closer to becoming a global telecom manufacturing powerhouse.

(KNN Bureau)