NEW DELHI: Global information technology leader Cisco Systems will invest over $100 million in India to support the country’s ambitious plan to connect thousands of its villages to the internet and create jobs, executive chairman John Chambers said on Friday. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the firm’s role in various government initiatives including Digital India, Skill India, Make in India and cyber security issues.
Appreciating the initiatives taken by Cisco, Modi emphasised on the benefits of technology in areas like long distance education and in eliminating leakages in subsidy. Cisco also discussed possibilities of cooperation in the area of cyber security, John said.
The company will earmark $40 million into funding early and mid-stage startups and has set a goal of creating a pipeline of 2.50 lakh skilled students in the country by 2020.
The US-based tech giant is also setting up a manufacturing base in Pune to locally make products to ‘support the Digital India vision’ and aims to eventually make it an export hub.
Meanwhile, supporting India’s decision to move WTO on H1-B visa issue, Chambers said elections are an “emotional” time for the US and stressed that one will also have to be “little patient” on these issues.
“... when people talk about job loss or global trade agreements or H1-B immigration issues, it’s an emotional time in an election year. So, I very much understand. I think it’s a logical move by India to bring this to the WTO and say how do you address that,” he said.
Vizag Innovation Centre
Cisco is also setting up an Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation Centre in Visakhapatnam to foster regional innovation and will enable partners and startups to build solutions around IoE and engage in rapid prototyping.
Tirupati Institute
Cisco is investing in an advanced Technology Centre of Excellence and Research Lab in the Institute of Digital Technology (IDT), Tirupati to focus on cyber security, smart city and manufacturing solutions.
‘AP Fiber-Net’
Cisco has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to be a part of India’s first state-wide broadband project, 'AP Fiber-Net'. Under the project, 15 Mbps broadband connection will be provided at `149 per month to households and 100 Mbps connection for offices at `999 per month. Electrical poles will be used to lay overhead fiber net cable instead of underground cable to save on the cost.
Cisco has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to be a part of India’s first state-wide broadband project, 'AP Fiber-Net'. Under the project, 15 Mbps broadband connection will be provided at `149 per month to households and 100 Mbps connection for offices at `999 per month. Electrical poles will be used to lay overhead fiber net cable instead of underground cable to save on the cost.