Your aspiration is to make India one of Cisco’s top five global markets, currently in the top 10. What efforts are being made in India lately?
In the last 12 months, we have made several key announcements to strengthen our India play. In May last year, we announced manufacturing in India, which will quintessentially act as hub for our global supply chain to serve both domestic demand and exports. This is due to open in the second half of 2024. In November last year, we continued our support for India’s digital acceleration plan, now in its third phase with nearly 100 projects completed. This May, we launched WebEx Calling cloud in India, and now in June (today), we have announced the Meraki cloud region here. Also, in March, we acquired Splunk, a data platform that enhances our capabilities, and we are currently integrating it with Cisco, leveraging its small engineering team based in India.
Our investments and innovations, some unique to India and others with global impact, are making a material difference in India. Our customers and partners often express their excitement about our ongoing commitments and the capabilities we bring to the country.
Recently, Cisco announced its USD 1 billion AI startup fund…
Yes, we have just announced a billion-dollar AI fund focused on startups globally. With over 10,000 deep tech startups in India, many of which focus on AI, we are confident they will benefit. Our established presence in India, through corporate development, angel investments, go-to-market investments, and acquisitions, makes us a known player in the startup ecosystem. We hope Indian startups will actively participate and leverage this billion-dollar commitment.
India is now getting its own Meraki region. How does it address areas of the market that were previously unserved?
We have been selling Meraki in India for about eight to nine years, but concerns about the Data and Privacy Act have traditionally made customers in regulated industries hesitant to invest in cloud technology if the cloud is outside the country. We expect India to pass data and privacy laws soon, and we are preparing to comply with these laws.
The excitement around Meraki’s launch in India is about reaching companies and areas that have been cautious due to data sovereignty concerns. We are looking to support businesses that were previously unable to adopt such technology, ensuring compliance with local laws and making digital transformation more accessible and manageable.
… and these areas include financial services and public sector?
Yes, financial services, public sector, utilities, oil and gas, and other critical sectors. There is always a cautious approach to any cloud outside the country, not just Cisco’s. This caution constrains our business. Our clients are excited about what Meraki offers.
