en.Wedoany.com Reported - Rockwell Automation and Cisco have announced a strategic partnership in India aimed at transforming the country's manufacturing sector into an advanced, resilient, and globally competitive production system by integrating industrial automation with IT infrastructure.
At the core of the collaboration is a full-stack software-defined manufacturing reference design, along with a software-defined manufacturing demonstration platform already deployed at Rockwell Automation's Gurugram facility. The initiative is supported by Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program. The two companies have also jointly launched a digital skills program, leveraging Cisco Networking Academy and Rockwell's Learning+ initiative to address the growing talent gap in the manufacturing sector. These efforts collectively aim to help India's manufacturing industry transition from traditional automation to AI-enabled autonomous operations.
The reference design integrates Cisco's software-defined networking with Rockwell Automation's software-defined automation to build secure, observable, and resilient industrial environments. By enabling secure data flow between IT and OT systems, manufacturers gain real-time visibility and actionable insights, improving efficiency, reducing risks, and supporting AI-driven decision-making while maintaining compliance and protecting critical operations.
"India's manufacturing sector is at a decisive moment," said Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director of Rockwell Automation India. By combining industrial automation expertise with modern digital infrastructure, we are helping manufacturers build more resilient, intelligent, and future-ready operations. The Gurugram demonstration platform will serve as a real-time innovation environment where customers, partners, and ecosystem participants can test and co-develop solutions tailored to India's manufacturing needs. The platform aims to help enterprises move from pilot projects to scaled deployments across factories and production lines.
Talent development is a key pillar of this partnership. Through a social impact program, Rockwell Automation and Cisco Networking Academy aim to equip India's manufacturing workforce with the digital, networking, and cybersecurity skills required for software-defined industrial environments, supporting broader workforce readiness and inclusive growth goals.
"Cisco is honored to partner with Rockwell Automation to support India's manufacturing transformation," said Kartika Prihadi, Vice President of Partner and Channel Sales for Cisco Asia Pacific. By unifying secure networking, automation, and AI-ready infrastructure, we help manufacturers move from automation to autonomy, unlocking new levels of efficiency, innovation, and trust. As India solidifies its position as a global manufacturing hub, this partnership positions Rockwell Automation and Cisco as key enablers driving the transition to smarter, more connected, and more autonomous industrial operations.
