Shipping 30-70 per cent of production, Nokia ramps up exports from India. Advanced telecom tech, R&D and 5G opportunities will boost its future prospects, says the new country head.
Nokia is reportedly expanding its export operations from India, with between 30 per cent and 70 per cent of its production now being shipped abroad, thanks to the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.
In a Business Standard report, Tarun Chhabra, Nokia India’s new country head, revealed that exports, primarily radio equipment, reached 50 per cent of production in the past year. Over the past 16 years, the company has produced 7.9 million radio units in India, exporting them to between 80 and 100 countries, including the United States.
India is a vital market for Nokia, ranking among the top three or four globally. Chhabra highlighted the country’s strategic importance, noting that Nokia employs 17,000 people in India out of its global workforce of 80,000.
The company also boasts one of its largest research and development (R&D) centres in Bengaluru, where 7000 to 8000 employees work on mobile networks and other technologies. Additionally, Nokia has established global support and delivery centres in India to assist its international customer base.
Meanwhile, in terms of financial performance, Nokia’s revenue in India for Q4 2024 was €463 million, up 22 per cent from €379 million in the same quarter the previous year. However, total annual revenues for 2024 stood at €1373 million, a significant decline from €2,842 million in 2023, when Nokia completed large-scale 5G network installations for key telecom operators in India.
Looking ahead, Chhabra is optimistic about growth prospects in 2025. He pointed to the success of fixed wireless access (FWA), which is expected to drive demand for more bandwidth, similar to the equivalent needs of 100 million mobile subscribers.
Furthermore, the growing 5G subscriber base, which reached 290 million in 2024, will continue to require more network capacity, creating further opportunities. Nokia is also pursuing satellite broadband, which, although still in its early stages, could complement existing network technologies, especially in rural areas.
