Cisco plans to expand its silicon design team in India, Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins said in an interview with PTI on October 14, 2026. Cisco’s silicon design work is currently concentrated in Israel and the United States, with a small group in India.
“The biggest opportunity we see is actually to expand our silicon design team here, so we currently have fair amount of resources in Israel, fair number in the United States, and we have a small group here that are part of that team, and we think there’s a big opportunity. So that’s an area of focus that we’re really looking at as we go forward.”
Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO, Cisco
Asked whether Cisco would use the government’s Semiconductor 2.0 programme, which includes incentives for chip design capabilities, Robbins said India has the talent pool and Cisco has the operational framework, “so it is a matter of finding the talent and hiring them.” Cisco hasn’t given a hiring number or timeline for the expansion.
India in Cisco’s market priorities
Robbins described India as a strategic market for Cisco because of its scale, ambition, engineering focus and manufacturing capability.
“The US is a very important market. Obviously, our most important market today. But outside the United States, the Middle East and India are the next two big areas for us we are focused on. I think those are the highest growth opportunities.”
Chuck Robbins
He said India has a pro-growth strategy, adding: “I think it’s working, given the GDP growth that we’re seeing here.” He described Cisco’s progress on manufacturing in India as “meaningful.”
