Cisco CEO John Chambers has been visiting India once every year for the past few years. This year, Chambers visited India on June 26 & 27 and was able to grab more eyeballs as this time he hinted that Cisco is now once again looking at India as a manufacturing hub.
The main attraction of John Chambers’ India visit was a meeting with Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). According to reliable sources in the government, the meeting between John Chambers and Amitabh kant was more focussed on understanding newly-formed government plan with respect to tax structure and seeking concessions with respect to Cisco’s manufacturing in India.
During his interview by the press, Chambers said that India has a very bright and prosperous future and his company liked the new Government’s business plans. “We like their (new Government’s business plans and where they are headed to. Plans to digitize the country and bring all the benefits of the Internet to all the citizens, (in areas like) healthcare, education, and job creation is very exciting. We see a Government willing to make changes and we want to be a partner in that,” he added.
On his two-day visit to India, Chambers also met the CII members and said that Cisco wants to play an active role in digitization of the Indian economy and develop it as a strategic business hub.
Here, it is worth noting that Cisco’s India business has been slow over the last few years. The latest reports suggest that the company was not able to beat the $1-billion target in the services revenue that it had set out to attain in India during the 2011-14 period. However, it seems that the company is now optimistic about a brighter future of the company amidst slow growth in India. Chambers told reporters, “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.”
John Chambers focuses India as an investment Hub
