Swedish telecom major Ericsson on Monday launched its first antenna model manufactured in India for domestic usage and global exports. The international shipments of the antenna will start from July.
In April, the company set up an antenna manufacturing facility in India and announced it will localise 100% of passive antenna production for the Indian market. Before that, the company had manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Romania, and China.
The company is also building end-to-end capabilities here including local sourcing, production, and engineering.
On Monday, it said that now over 50% of the antenna content is now produced locally.
“We are committed to building an end-to-end antenna ecosystem in India — one that includes local sourcing, production, and engineering,” said Mikael Eriksson, head of Ericsson Antenna System. “This is a long-term investment in capability, talent, and technology,” he added.
Eriksson also said that these passive antennas play a major role in the evolution of 5G networks globally, and with local presence, they will be able to meet the changing needs of the country.
The company said that the antennas manufactured in India will meet Ericsson’s global quality and performance standards, ensuring they fulfil the requirements of both domestic and international operators.
“Ericsson’s advanced ‘Made in India’ antennas will cater to both domestic and global demand,” said Nitin Bansal, managing director, Ericsson India. Since 2015, the telecom major has delivered the Ericsson Radio System to prepare networks for 5G and showcased some of India’s first 5G use cases, including a live 5G-enabled music concert.