Key Highlights

  • Milestone: Ericsson has made over 15,000 antennas and 25 million components through its Indian ecosystem since July 2025.
  • Exports: India-made antennas are now shipped to international markets.
  • The pace: That works out to roughly 1,000 antennas a month over about 15 months.
  • Ecosystem: Production combines local sourcing and suppliers with Ericsson's global engineering.
  • Next phase: Ericsson plans to expand local engineering, manufacturing and exports.

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson said on Wednesday it has produced more than 15,000 antennas and 25 million components through its local ecosystem in India since July 2025, with products now being exported.

The milestone comes a little over a year after the company launched its first export-ready antennas made in India.

"Producing more than 15,000 antennas in India is an important milestone and is a step in a much longer journey. We are building an end-to-end antenna ecosystem that combines local sourcing and manufacturing with Ericsson's global engineering capabilities," said Mikael Eriksson, Head of Ericsson Antenna System.

What These Antennas Do

Ericsson said its antenna systems help telecom operators improve coverage and capacity, use spectrum more efficiently and cut energy use, as networks move towards 5G Standalone, AI-driven operations and next-generation architectures.

Eriksson said growing demand for intelligent, programmable networks is making advanced antenna technology increasingly important.

Why It Matters: Building the Supply Chain, Not Just Assembling

The significance lies in the ecosystem. Ericsson says its Indian production draws on local component suppliers, engineering and manufacturing partners, rather than only assembling imported parts. That kind of supply chain is what turns a country from an assembly base into a manufacturing hub.

Exports matter too. India has long relied on imported telecom equipment. Antennas made in India and shipped abroad show the country moving, slowly but steadily, towards becoming a supplier to global networks.

Part of a Wider Push

Ericsson's milestone comes a day after the announcement of a Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior, which has drawn investment proposals of over ₹5,500 crore and aims to build telecom equipment, optical fibre and 5G/6G components locally. Together, the two developments point to a growing focus on making telecom gear in India.

What Comes Next

Ericsson said it will keep expanding local engineering, manufacturing and export capabilities, while supporting operators building next-generation networks.

The Bottom Line

Fifteen thousand antennas is a modest number on a global scale, but as Ericsson itself says, it is a step in a longer journey, one that could see more of the world's telecom networks built on equipment made in India.

With inputs from IANS.