Ericsson looks set to expand its hardware manufacturing efforts in India, revealing its efforts in the country have surpassed production of more than 15,000 antennas and 25 million components.

It’s understood the telecom equipment giant has been expanding its manufacturing efforts in India, with reports last October suggesting all equipment sold in the country would be made locally.

Its antennas manufactured in India are exported around the world, with the vendor having only kickstarted efforts on its first export-ready units in the country last summer. In a release touting its efforts over the past year, Ericsson said it has expanded local capabilities across sourcing, engineering, manufacturing, and exports, serving customers both in India and abroad.

Ericsson pledged to strengthen its antenna ecosystem in India by advancing local engineering and export capabilities while also supporting local providers.

“India is an important part of Ericsson’s global innovation, engineering, and manufacturing footprint," Andres Vicente, CEO of Ericsson Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India, explained. "The production of more than 15,000 antennas and 25 million components shows how quickly this ecosystem is developing and the contribution it can make both in India and globally. Together with our partners, we are developing the capabilities needed for the next generation of high-performing, energy-efficient, and AI-ready networks.”

India is among the nations seen as more viable alternatives to production in China amid export restriction expansions combined with rising labor costs in the country. Ericsson already enjoys a sizable presence in India with that country home to several research and development facilities in cities like Chennai and Gurugram, alongside an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) research facility in Bengaluru.

The vendor sees India as a key market, having launched its India 6G project back in 2023. The effort brings together its local research teams with minds from the U.S. and Sweden to develop next-generation network technologies.

It's supporting local big-name carriers, including a multi-year network management deal with Bharti Airtel spanning nationwide 4G, 5G non-standalone (NSA), 5G standalone, and network slicing services. The vendor also enjoys partnerships with Reliance Jio and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).