Swedish telecoms equipment manufacturer Ericsson has announced that antennas produced in India will be exported to Europe and other international markets, marking a further expansion of the company's manufacturing and supply chain operations in the country.

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, Andres Vicente, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, said the company has maintained a presence in India since 1903 and established its own manufacturing facilities in the country in 1994.

He noted that Ericsson currently manufactures all 4G and 5G radio equipment used within India domestically. The company also produces antennas deployed for Massive MIMO technology and artificial intelligence-enabled network upgrades.

According to Vicente, Ericsson is now formally expanding its export programme by supplying antennas manufactured in India to European markets, reinforcing the country's growing role within the company's global production network.

The executive highlighted India's rapid 5G rollout, stating that mid-band 5G coverage has reached 95% of the population, significantly higher than the global average of 45%.

He said the pace of 5G deployment has created a strong foundation for India's future transition towards 6G, as much of the required network architecture has already been established.

India currently has around 430 million 5G subscriptions, representing approximately 35% of all mobile subscriptions in the country, according to Ericsson.

Vicente added that 5G networks now carry 43% of India's total mobile data traffic, underlining the technology's swift adoption among consumers and businesses.

He also stated that India records the highest mobile data usage per customer globally, driven by growing demand across segments such as video streaming and gaming.

Since July 2025, Ericsson has manufactured more than 15,000 antennas and 25 million components in India, reflecting the scale of its local production activities.

The company said antennas produced in India are already being supplied to Europe and other global markets, strengthening India's position within Ericsson's worldwide engineering, manufacturing and supply ecosystem.

Ericsson added that as telecoms networks become increasingly intelligent and programmable, antenna performance will play a more critical role in maximising spectrum efficiency, site utilisation and network investment returns.

The expansion of manufacturing capabilities in India is expected to support both domestic customers and the company's global operations while further integrating India into international telecoms supply chains.

Agencies