Swedish telecom giant Ericsson is placing a robust bet on India’s potential to become a global hub for telecom manufacturing and innovation. As supply chains move away from China, India is emerging as a promising alternative for producing advanced telecom equipment, including 5G technologies, cloud solutions, and artificial intelligence.
A senior Ericsson official revealed plans to completely localise the production of passive antennas by June 2025. This move aims to enhance value addition within the country and boost exports. “We are betting strongly on the future growth of this market. India is positioned like no other market to be the real alternative to the current Chinese ecosystem for innovation,” said Andres Vicente, Head of Southeast Asia, Oceania and India. He emphasized that India’s expanding market allows Ericsson to build new capabilities and deepen its local manufacturing footprint.
Ericsson is enhancing its Indian operations by increasing local component sourcing and expanding its manufacturing facilities. Currently, companies like Jabil in Pune and VVDN play key roles in producing 4G, 5G equipment, and antennas. The VVDN partnership places India alongside countries such as Mexico and Romania in Ericsson’s global manufacturing network. The company plans to export antennas made in India at competitive prices, marking the country as a rising manufacturing hub.
Vicente noted that exporting 4G and 5G gear from India’s Jabil factory is “part of the journey,” highlighting the company’s focus on gradually increasing value-added production. On the competitive telecom landscape, Ericsson recognizes Vodafone Idea’s earnest efforts to make a comeback. The telecom operator’s upcoming 5G rollout in several cities is expected to intensify market competition.
“India is a market with almost 1.5 billion people — the most populated market in the world, hungry for innovation and building a strong ecosystem,” Vicente said. He suggested that India’s telecom industry, like other large nations, would benefit from at least three strong operators, hinting at Vodafone Idea’s potential resurgence.
Urging policymakers to focus on domestically developed terrestrial telecom networks, Vicente stressed the importance of technological sovereignty. “If I were the government, I would focus on technologies developed and regulated within the country,” he added, emphasizing that local networks drive investment, job creation, and national control.
While satellite communications assist in disaster response and remote areas, Vicente affirmed 5G’s superiority in speed, cost, and scalability. Ericsson’s India workforce includes 22,500 employees, with 2,000 dedicated to research and development, focused on next-gen technologies like 6G and AI.
“We are building a future where India stands as a beacon of innovation, challenging existing global ecosystems,” Vicente concluded.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
