Cisco Builds Export Strategy Around India's Manufacturing Strength

Global networking leader Cisco has strengthened its commitment to India by positioning the country as a strategic export center as well as a growth engine for its international business. Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins, in a recent media conference, said that Cisco's production momentum in India has been robust since the onset of operations two years ago.

“It is one of the few spots where we expect a tremendous amount of development in the next 5–10 years," Robbins said. He cited India's growing presence in Cisco's worldwide supply chain and export plans. Yet he warned that tariffs and international trade uncertainty still hold up big investments, with companies unwilling to spend $20–30 million without policy direction. Cisco is working closely with world policymakers, including the White House, to solve these issues.

In spite of all these hurdles, Cisco's investment path in India is robust. The company is keen on digital infrastructure, especially the burgeoning data centre business. It is widening its presence in enterprise infrastructure, AI-centric designs, and third-party hosting providers.

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"AI-powered data infrastructure is one of the fastest emerging industries and Cisco is well-positioned to be a leader in this field," said Daisy Chittilapilly, President, Cisco India & SAARC.

Besides that, Cisco also announced its key position in the BharatNet project by having installed almost 70% of the network using routers manufactured locally, balancing local production with international sustainability and export objectives.

In the future, Cisco is broadening its India offerings to encompass AI security, mesh firewalls, and zero-trust networking solutions. As India is developing digital and AI infrastructure at a very fast pace, Cisco believes the nation will play an important role in augmenting the company's total global innovation and cybersecurity endeavor.