Made-in-India 6G: Ericsson to Begin Trials by 2028, Boosts Indigenous Production

Bengaluru/India, October 9, 2025 — Swedish telecom giant Ericsson has announced plans to manufacture all telecom equipment it sells in India domestically, including future products, a senior company executive said on Thursday. Andres Vicente, Ericsson’s Head of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India, revealed the company’s intentions during the India Mobile Congress 2025. He also noted that 6G trials are expected by 2028, though commercial deployment will follow later.

Currently, Ericsson produces 4G and 5G equipment in India, exporting some to other Asian nations. The company recently expanded its ASIC (application-specific integrated chips) R&D center in Bengaluru and has begun producing passive antennas in collaboration with VVDN Technologies. Vicente added that the ASIC team will grow to 150 positions as Ericsson increases local value addition in its products.

“India has a unique opportunity to become a complete ecosystem for component manufacturing. While we currently import many components for sophisticated products, we aim to change this through holistic investment—not just by anchor brands like Ericsson, but also by developing the broader ecosystem for components, filters, batteries, closures, and more,” Vicente said.

In addition to telecom equipment, Ericsson is diversifying its technology solutions across sectors including Railways. The company has also deployed 5G-enabled food grain kiosks, called Grain ATM Annapurti, in partnership with the World Food Programme.

These kiosks, made in India, dispense 25 to 30 kg of multiple food grains in just 30 seconds using Aadhaar-based biometric authentication. Installed in cities such as Shillong, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, and Bhopal, the initiative supports the One Nation One Ration Card program, providing round-the-clock access to essential grains.

“Over the next year, 23 additional highly automated Annapurti machines will be rolled out nationwide, demonstrating how 5G technology can enhance digital inclusion and strengthen food security,” Vicente said.