Full Breakdown
Ericsson Expands India Antenna Production, Begins Exports to Europe
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Announcement
On October 7, 2026, at the tenth India Mobile Congress (IMC 2026) in New Delhi, Ericsson announced that antennas manufactured in its Indian ecosystem are now being shipped to European markets. The milestone follows the launch of its first export-ready antennas in 2025 and reflects a broader effort to scale local sourcing, engineering, manufacturing and export capabilities.
Background & Context
Ericsson’s relationship with India dates to 1903, with domestic manufacturing beginning in 1994. The firm now produces 4G and 5G radios, as well as massive-MIMO antennas, from its Pune facility and through a joint venture with Indian partner VVDN. India’s rapid 5G rollout—mid-band coverage reaching 95 percent of the population—has positioned the market as a testing ground for 5G Standalone, AI-driven operations and future 6G architectures.
Data & Statistics
- More than 15,000 antennas and 25 million components have been produced in India since July 2025.
- 430 million 5G mobile subscriptions represent roughly 35 percent of India’s total subscriptions.
- 43 percent of mobile data traffic is carried on 5G, with average per-user usage of 35 GB per month.
All quantitative claims are attributed to senior Ericsson executive Andres Vicente, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India.
Official Statements & Responses
- Andres Vicente emphasized that India’s extensive 5G coverage provides a “competitive advantage” for moving toward 6G, noting that the country’s architecture is already “cloud-driven and programmable.”
- Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India, linked the antenna expansion to the broader “5G ecosystem” showcased at IMC 2026.
These statements portray the antenna expansion as a pillar of Ericsson’s strategy to support high-performing, energy-efficient and AI-ready networks worldwide.
Verbatim Quotes
Impact and Outlook
The export of India-made antennas signals a shift in Ericsson’s supply chain, reducing reliance on traditional manufacturing hubs and aligning with industry moves to diversify production locations. By positioning India as a hub for both domestic demand and international supply, Ericsson aims to leverage the country’s large subscriber base and high data usage to accelerate development of AI-enabled network functions, lower energy consumption and improve spectrum efficiency.
Ericsson expects the next phase of telecom investment in India to focus on “network intelligence” rather than large-scale coverage expansion, with incremental capex directed toward core network capabilities, business support systems and AI compute integration. This evolution is intended to sustain the performance gains delivered by the newly exported antenna portfolio while preparing the ecosystem for forthcoming 6G research initiatives.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All cited sources report consistent production figures and export plans; no independent third-party verification of the antenna shipment volumes has been provided. Details on specific European customers, pricing structures and the timeline for scaling exports beyond the initial launch remain undisclosed.