Ericsson scaling up production in phases at Pune to meet India' 5G demand

Ericsson is building its production capabilities in India as telecom companies ramp up their 5G expansion plan.

The Swedish gear supplies 4G and 5G radios, radio access networks and microwave products from its partner Jabil’s plant in Pune.

“We are ramping up production of our 5G telecom equipment in Pune in a phased manner, to support the network deployments of Indian telecom service providers. The production in India is part of our global production footprint with a presence across continents. This footprint has enabled us to secure a global, flexible, and resilient supply chain to respond quickly to market and customer needs, whereby India also benefits,” said Nunzio Mirtillo, Ericsson’s head of market for Southeast Asia, Oceania and India.

Commercial 5G service was launched in India in October and has been deployed in over 50 cities till now.

Ericsson is supplying its equipment to both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio while Vodafone Idea is yet to finalise its 5G plans. While Jio is aiming to offer 5G service in every taluka and village by the end of 2023, Airtel is targeting March 2024 for its pan India rollout.

Ericsson did not divulge the amount it is investing but said that the production ramp-up will  generate employment for around 2,000 people in Pune. The company is also establishing a technology center that will focus on new product introduction and production engineering to secure high-quality standards, testing/integration, and supply preparations on early-phase products. It will also provide operational support to ensure efficient 5G development and deployment in India.

In an earlier interaction with Business Standard Mirtillo had said that India will see one of the fastest 5G adoptions in the world placing confidence on the willingness of Indians to adopt new technologies.