Cisco announces the launch of manufacturing operations in India embracing "Make in India"

Cisco has announced projects embracing “Digital India” and “Make in India” initiatives by the Government of India. The company indicated that it would start manufacturing operations in India along with other projects, that focus on the digital transformation of the country. Cisco teamed up with Government of Maharashtra to announce new local projects aimed at digital transformation which include turning Nagpur into a Smart City and development of eCommerce hub in Dharavi. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins; Senior VP for Cisco Asia Pacific and Japan Irvin Tan; President for Cisco India and SAARC and Dinesh Malkani attended the announcement event. The company will focus on testing, research, development of new products and services alongside in-house repair capabilities. Nagpur Smart City development will be a major project for the company as it will work as the demonstration of the digital power of Cisco as a networking company. The project will enable city-wide network connectivity along with Wi-Fi hotspots and surveillance solutions. The services like smart transport, lighting, smart parking and environmental sensors will be clubbed together to Cisco’s “City Digital” platform. Dharavi eCommerce Hub will help students gain quality education using digital learning tools for academics while connecting, collaborating and creating new content. The same infrastructure can be utilised by local start-ups and entrepreneurs as a platform for innovation. The company is also setting up to 25 Cisco Networking Academies to train 10,000 students in the state by 2020. This is an extension of the 186 total Networking Academies spread across the world. Cisco CEO, Chuck Robbins added that that “Digitization opens unprecedented opportunities for every country, state and the city. High technology manufacturing is the convergence of engineering and science.” The company also announced its plans to move beyond the concept of “Smart Cities” and these are “Smart Villages” where the villagers can get Wi-Fi, Healthcare and education. The company is currently working to digitise Fetri village in Nagpur district, In addition, the company will help state-wide deployment of broadband infrastructure to accelerate the Digital Maharashtra Vision.