In a major step towards enhancing its production capabilities, Cisco announced the opening of its first manufacturing facility in Chennai on Friday. The US-based technology giant aims to generate over $1.3 billion annually through this new venture, significantly boosting both its export and domestic production capacities. The move is expected to strengthen Cisco's footprint in India while contributing to local economic growth. The new facility, established in partnership with Flex, is set to create 1,200 jobs in Tamil Nadu. Initially, it will focus on the production of Cisco's Network Convergence System (NCS) 540 Series of routers, catering to the growing demand for high-performance networking products. In the future, the facility is expected to produce a wide range of top-tier routing and switching products.

The inauguration of the Chennai unit was a high-profile event, attended by the Union Minister of Communications and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and Cisco India President Daisy Chittilapilly. During the event, Cisco emphasized its collaboration with Flex to bring cutting-edge telecommunications technology to India, further strengthening their 25-year partnership focused on global manufacturing expansion.

The Union minister also took to X to showcase the power of 'Made in India' products by stating, "Telecom transformation, Technological triumph! On our mission to make India the global telecom manufacturing hub, inaugurated the CISCO-FLEX Manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu today. This state-of-the-art unit will fuel India's growth through employment generation, innovation, and world-class ideas, while showcasing the power of 'Made in India' products. A significant step in driving the telecom revolution forward!"

The facility's future plans include focusing on advanced printed circuit board (PCB) assembly and the production of industrial-grade products designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Cisco also plans to manufacture complex networking equipment that requires thousands of individual components, aiming to meet the evolving needs of global telecommunications and networking industries.