US-based Belden Inc. will expand its local manufacturing capacity in India, with its Pune facility set to produce Ruckus ICX Ethernet switches used for Wi-Fi connectivity, networking equipment, and AI-powered automation. The move follows Belden’s USD 1.8 billion acquisition of Ruckus Wireless and is aimed at strengthening local production in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The company will initially manufacture Ruckus ICX Ethernet switches at Belden’s 300,000-square-foot facility in Pune. The increased capacity will meet domestic demand, while export opportunities will be evaluated in later phases.

Bart Giordano, senior vice president and general manager at Ruckus Networks, said the company has not disclosed specific investment figures or capacity metrics for the expansion.

“The first batch of locally manufactured switches is set to roll off the assembly line as we speak,” Giordano said in a virtual interaction.

The ICX Ethernet switching portfolio currently accounts for nearly 50% of Ruckus’s total business.

Ruckus Wireless had historically relied entirely on outsourced manufacturing. After integrating with Belden, the company is using Belden’s existing Pune facility to establish local production.

The company plans to make incremental investments and expand its local workforce as manufacturing scales up. Ethernet switches will form the first phase, while Ruckus will evaluate manufacturing other enterprise networking products at the Pune facility in the future.

Also Read: India Keeps 30% Crypto Tax as New VDA Reporting Rules Take Effect

The Pune manufacturing operation adds to Ruckus’s existing presence across innovation, operations and customer delivery in India.

Bengaluru hosts the company’s largest global research and development and customer success site, along with Belden’s customer innovation center.

Source link