Rockwell Automation, Cisco Join Forces to Build AI-Ready Smart Factories, Accelerate India's Manufacturing Transformation
Editor 
In a major boost to India's digital manufacturing ambitions, Rockwell Automation and Cisco have announced a strategic collaboration to help build AI-powered, software-defined factories across the country. The partnership combines industrial automation, secure networking and workforce upskilling to enable resilient, intelligent and globally competitive manufacturing, supporting India's vision of becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. and Cisco have announced a strategic collaboration to help reimagine the future of manufacturing in India, bringing together IT and industrial automation to support the country’s ambitions for advanced, resilient, and globally competitive manufacturing.
At the heart of this partnership is the launch of a Full-Stack Software-Defined Manufacturing reference design, along with the availability of a Software-Defined Manufacturing Demo Pod at Rockwell Automation’s Gurugram facility, developed in collaboration with Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program. The companies also announced a joint digital skills initiative for the manufacturing industry, aimed at closing the manufacturing digital skills gap through Cisco Networking Academy and Rockwell’s Learning+ program.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared commitment by Rockwell Automation and Cisco to support India’s national manufacturing vision by enabling industries to move from traditional automation toward AI-enabled autonomous operations.
"India's manufacturing sector stands at the threshold of a new industrial era. Together with Cisco, we are enabling manufacturers to build intelligent, secure and future-ready operations powered by AI, advanced automation and digital innovation."
- Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director, Rockwell Automation India
Innovative Technologies for Agility and AI-Driven Operations
The Full Stack Software-Defined Manufacturing reference design helps overcome these barriers by integrating Cisco’s software defined networking with Rockwell Automation’s software defined automation, delivering secure, observable, and resilient operations.
By enabling secure data flow across IT and OT, manufacturers gain real time visibility and actionable insights to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support AI enabled decision making, all while maintaining compliance and protecting critical operations.
“India’s manufacturing sector is at a defining moment,” said Dilip Sawhney managing director, Rockwell Automation India. “By bringing together industrial automation expertise and modern digital infrastructure, we are helping manufacturers build operations that are more resilient, intelligent, and ready for the future.”
Empowering India’s Manufacturing Workforce and Future Growth
The Software Defined Manufacturing Demo Pod in Gurugram will serve as a collaborative innovation environment where customers, partners, and ecosystem players can experience, validate, and cocreate solutions tailored to India’s manufacturing needs. It provides a practical foundation for organizations to move from pilot projects to scalable deployment across plants and production lines.
"By combining secure networking, automation and AI-ready infrastructure, this partnership will help manufacturers move beyond automation towards autonomous, data-driven operations, unlocking greater productivity, resilience and innovation."
- Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partner and Routes to Market Sales, Cisco APJC
A key aspect of this collaboration is skills development. Through a social impact initiative, Rockwell Automation and Cisco Networking Academy are committed to equipping India’s manufacturing workforce with essential digital, networking, and cybersecurity skills for modern, software-defined industrial environments. This initiative supports India’s goals for workforce readiness and inclusive growth as manufacturing becomes more digital.
“Cisco is proud to work alongside Rockwell Automation to support India’s manufacturing transformation,” said Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partner and Routes to Market Sales, Cisco APJC. “By unifying secure networking, automation, and AI-ready infrastructure, we are helping manufacturers move from automation to autonomy, unlocking new levels of efficiency, innovation, and trust.”
As India continues to strengthen its position as a global manufacturing hub, the Rockwell Automation and Cisco collaboration provides a blueprint for how technology, skills, and ecosystem partnerships can come together to support sustainable growth and operational excellence.
