Nokia launches its largest fixed networks R&D facility in Chennai; expands investment to ₹270 crore
Nokia has opened a new research and development (R&D) facility for fixed networks in Tamil Nadu, its largest globally, as the Finnish telecom gear maker deepens its footprint in the state.
Nokia’s expansion follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the Tamil Nadu government during Chief Minister M K Stalin’s visit to the United States in August 2024, said the state’s Industries Minister TRB Rajaa on Saturday in a social media post.
“Dear Tamil Nadu, say hello to Nokia’s world’s largest R&D facility for fixed networks. Yesterday (February 6), Nokia inaugurated the new facility at SIPCOT Siruseri, Chennai, creating over 200 high-end jobs in the state,” Rajaa said in a social media post.
Rajaa added that the first phase of the project will entail an investment of ₹270 crore — up from the initially planned ₹220 crore — while the second phase will be around ₹300 crore. “The Siruseri facility will house Nokia’s largest Fixed Network R&D lab globally, with a focus on advanced fixed network broadband technologies,” he added.
The R&D facility is also expected to serve as a global testbed for innovations in 10G, 25G, 50G, and 100G optical networks, fixed wireless access (FWA), and other technologies.
“Nokia is one of the earliest and most important R&D investors in the state, deeply embedded in Chennai’s telecom and network engineering ecosystem,” Rajaa said.
The Espoo, Finland-headquartered telecom kit vendor employs close to 1,000 engineers in Tamil Nadu today.
In India, Nokia already has commercial deals with top telecom operators, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), in the 5G radio access network (RAN) domain.
