Launches   Make in India manufacturing operations in Pune

Mumbai, October 22 2016: The world's largest maker of networking equipment --Cisco -- has  partnered with the state government of Maharashtra to  launch a series of initiatives in smart city and Digital India spheres. The formal  announcements were made here last week  jointly by  Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Cisco CEO  Chuck Robbins.

Perhaps the biggest anmnouncement was that Cisco  has launched  its India manufacturing operations, from Pune.  It  will manufacture and roll out a diverse product portfolio in India to support the government’s Make in India initiative. Cisco will use its India manufacturing operations to produce and ship orders for customers in India, as well as for testing, development, logistics, and in-house repair capabilities.
"The manufacturing of our diverse product portfolio will bring advance manufacturing capabilities to our operations in India", said Jun Kim, Vice President, Cisco Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations.
Earlier this year,  Cisco made its unit in Hinjewadi,  Pune its second India-based Global Development Centre, with  Cisco Chairman John Chamber saying:  "We are committed to Pune. We see India  as a fast innovation leader. First, you manufacture in India,  for India -- and then, in India for the world."
Even as it makes  Pune,  the lynchpin of its Make in India thrust, Cisco  is all set to  widen its digital  outreach to the rest of  Maharashtra, with a slew of state-centred initiatives:

• Nagpur  has been chose  for  India’s First city-wide deployment of a Smart City framework enabled by Cisco's  "City Digital Platform".   This will enable city-wide network connectivity, Smart & Secure Wi-Fi hotspots, and Smart safety & surveillance solutions. Citizen services enabled by this architecture will  include smart transport, solid waste management, smart lighting, environmental sensors, and smart parking.
• Dharavi  once known as Asia's largest shanty town, is to become an  e-commerce hub. Cisco is helping the local Sri Ganesh Vidya Mandir High School by providing the students with a virtual classroom, digital learning and  Internet connectivity. After school hours, local entrepreneurs and start-ups will be able to use the school as a platform for local innovation  to help make Dharavi an e-biz hub.\
• As part of Cisco’s commitment to accelerating Digital Maharashtra and supporting the Maharashtra State Education Digitization agenda, the company announced plans to establish up to 25 Cisco Networking Academies to train approximately 10,000 students in Maharashtra by 2020.
• Also announced, was  an new initiative to digitize Fetri village in the Kato Tehsil of Nagpur district through  key technologies including Wi-Fi, smart healthcare, --  and smart education in an upper primary government school in the village
• And in a state-wide initiative, Cisco will collaborate on the rollout of broadband infrastructure to accelerate the Digital Maharashtra vision.

Said  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis:"My vision for digital Maharashtra is to digitally empower every citizen, increase the state’s global competitiveness by creating a highly skilled workforce ready for the jobs of the future, build an environment that stimulates exceptional companies, and enable outstanding public services for citizens. We are happy to partner with Cisco in the Digital Maharashtra initiative and we believe Cisco’s global experience and expertise in digitization will benefit Maharashtra immensely and accelerate the digitization of the state.”
Added Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco India & SAARC: “These  announcements underscores India's strategic importance to Cisco's global operations. We have made significant investments in India since we established operations in the country in 1995."