Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has urged Nunzio Mirtillo, Ericsson’s Head of Market-Area, South East Asia, Oceania and India to start export of the Swedish telecom gear maker’s products to countries in the SAARC and South East Asian regions besides Australia.
At a meeting on Monday, Prasad and Mirtillo discussed technologies like 5G and Internet of Things (IoT).
“Ericsson delegation led by SVP & Head of Market Area SEA, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo met me today. Held an excellent interaction on Digital India, 5G & IoT applications…I was delighted to know that Ericsson kept up their promise made to me during my visit to Stockholm, about setting-up a 5G testbed in India, and I was updated that equipment deliveries are in progress, soon the testbed will be starting IoT trials,” Prasad said in a Facebook post.
Prasad, in his post, wrote that he has requested Mirtillo to start telecom product exports to countries in SAARC, South East Asia and Australia. The Ericsson executive has given his commitment to start exports soon.
Ericsson’s plant, which was set-up with an initial investment of upto $20 million at the Indospace Industrial Park, Chakan, Pune, is manufacturing 2G, 3G and 4G mobile broadband gear along with microwave products. The new plant will also serve as an export hub for the company’s exports to South East Asian, West Asia, and sub Saharan Africa regions, the company previously told an English daily.
The company already has a manufacturing unit in Jaipur, which is catering to the demand coming from the Indian telecom operators.
In line with the recently announced organisational structure, Mirtillo was appointed as Head of Market-Area, South East Asia, Oceania and India in April this year. He has responsibility for Ericsson’s business across markets, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines and Bangladesh.
Ericsson also gave global assignments to two of its Indian executives. Nitin Bansal, head of network solutions for Region India, has now been appointed as head of network solutions for the new market area.
By Baishakhi Dutta