Ericsson has established a new Radio Access Network (RAN) Software Research and Development (R&D) unit in Bengaluru to enhance its fifth-generation (5G) software expertise and broaden its technological presence in India.

The initiative is a component of the Swedish telecom equipment manufacturer's extensive R&D growth in the nation, which encompasses the expansion of its Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) development activities revealed in June 2025.

David Bjore, who leads RAN Software and Compute Platforms at Ericsson, stated that the latest investment highlights India's increasing significance in Ericsson's worldwide technology strategy.

“We are creating this RAN software in India ourselves for the first time.This is an important advancement, as it not only bolsters India’s growing technology sector but also allows us to develop solutions locally that can make a worldwide difference," says David.

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This will be Ericsson's fourth significant R&D center in India, in addition to current locations in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Gurugram. The firm allocates approximately $ 5 billion each year for global R&D in areas including transport, packet core, Operations Support Systems (OSS), Business Support Systems (BSS), cloud, and AI.

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The new division will concentrate on advancing 5G and 5G Advanced capabilities for the company’s 5G baseband, working closely with worldwide RAN software teams.

“Establishing the R&D center in India for RAN software development marks an important advancement in enhancing our R&D activities in India. While we utilize software expertise from India, we are simultaneously aiding in the development of the knowledge base and telecom ecosystem within the country," stated Nitin Bansal, managing director of Ericsson India and head of Network Solutions for the South East Asia, Oceania, and India market area.

Ericsson has been broadening its research footprint throughout India to enhance expertise in advanced fields like artificial intelligence (AI), sixth-generation (6G) networks, and semiconductor design.

 

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The firm is partnering with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on AI studies for 6G networks, and with organizations such as IIT Kharagpur and the Indian Statistical Institute on cyber-physical systems, secure communications, and edge computing. It is collaborating with partners like Bharti Airtel and Volvo to incorporate Extended Reality (XR) and Digital Twin technologies at Volvo’s R&D center in Bengaluru.