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US-based networking equipment manufacturer, Cisco, is open to investing more in India and is eager to work with the new Modi-led Government, John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco, said.
“We are very open (to idea of scaling up operations). We actually discussed the possibilities today,” Chambers told the media on Friday after his meeting with the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) Secretary, Amitabh Kant.
Cisco, which started its operations in India in 1995, has a Global Development Centre in Bangalore (which is the largest outside the US), and seven sales offices across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Although the company’s business in India has been slow in the recent past and has been missing revenue targets, Chambers said India had a very bright and prosperous future.
“We like the new Government’s business plans and where they are headed. Plans to digitise the country and bring all the benefits of the Internet to all citizens, (in areas such as) healthcare, education, and job creation are very exciting. We see a Government willing to make changes and want to be a partner in that,” he said. He said creating a successful digital economy requires a collaborative effort drawing on the experiences, ideas and ingenuity, as well as global innovation and experience, adding that the Governments can certainly play an important role in growing the digital economy.
“Cisco looks forward to playing an active role in enabling digitisation of Indian economy and developing India as a strategic business hub,” Chambers said at a CII event here.
Earlier this year, Chambers announced that he expected the company’s India business to account for 5 per cent of Cisco’s revenue, up from the existing 2 per cent.
“We spent about $ 1 billion a year in equivalent foreign direct investment in India. We put $40 million in new start ups and new ideas. We lead in corporate social responsibility in many areas. India is our second world headquarters,” Chambers told reporters.
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