National, India, July 03, 2026 – Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today 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.
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.”
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.
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.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise® to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.