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.

Cisco’s 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 India’s roughly two-decade long relationship with Cisco, the strategic importance of Tamil Nadu, and Cisco’s commitment to the country.

Cisco partnered with Flex in Chennai to power the manufacturing facility that will focus first on Cisco’s 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 company’s roadmap for India did not have an end goal of a limiting nature.

He reaffirmed Cisco’s 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.

“India 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,” said Mr. Robbins.

“The inauguration of the Cisco’s manufacturing facility in India producing advanced telecom equipment is a testament to the country’s growing Atmanirbharta in the global technology landscape. Certain that the factory will strengthen Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub and amplify the holistic growth of India’s telecom ecosystem,” said Mr. Scindia.