Ericsson to scale up production capacity of 5G equipment in India

Telecom company Ericsson on Monday announced it would scale up its production capacity and operations in India to meet the needs of 5G network deployments in India. It manufactures various types of equipment, including 4G and 5G radios, with Jabil at its plant in Pune. 

"As 5G gets introduced in India, 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," said Nunzio Mirtillo, head of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson. 

Ericsson's multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna-integrated radios AIR 3219 and AIR 3268 will be produced in India initially to support the 5G deployments. The company will work with local ecosystem partners to support its 5G production in India.

The company said that the ramp-up is expected to generate employment for around 2,000 people in Pune. It will also establish a new technology centre to focus on new product introduction and production engineering to secure high-quality standards, testing/integration, and supply preparations on early-phase products, as well as operational support to ensure efficient 5G development and deployment in India.

"5G is a platform for innovation that will transform India by digitalizing industries and providing new and immersive experiences to consumers. 5G can play an important role in achieving India's digital inclusion goals and enable the country to realize its 'Digital India' vision," says Nunzio Mirtillo.

According to Ericsson's Mobility Report released in November, 5G subscriptions in India are expected to reach 690 million by the end of 2028. This will be boosted mainly due to the increasing availability and affordability of 5G smartphones and the rapid adoption of smartphones in urban and rural areas.