In an energetic discussion with Yatish Mohan, Managing Director, India at Rohde & Schwarz (R&S), a vision stood out: fusing leading-edge global technology with India’s strategic priorities in localisation, innovation, and infrastructure development. With India speeding up its digitalisation and security upgrades, R&S is positioning itself at the center — not only as a supplier, but as a long-term ecosystem ally.
Localisation & Compliance: A Non-Negotiable Priority
India’s policy climate is changing fast, and R&S is perfectly in sync with it. With a mandatory 20% local content norm for every government tender, including through GeM and direct procurement channels, the company has designed its operational and supply chain models accordingly.
Their SKD (Semi-Knocked Down) assembly model, where RF modules and mechanical components are imported from Germany for final assembly in India, maintains high standards while ensuring compliance. Although the PLI scheme continues to be applicable, it is not yet a core thrust, with R&S continuing to ramp up its volumes in India.
Critically, local value addition goes beyond physical elements. R&S ensures that software development, integration, and IT infrastructure—from servers to PCs and switches—are locally sourced and installed. In defence and aerospace, where the level of scrutiny is even greater, the capacity to prove indigenous components and technologies is critical to tender wins.
Scaling Operational Capabilities in India
R&S already has a strong presence in India, covering sales, calibration, maintenance, R&D, IT support, and partial SKD manufacturing. Now, the emphasis is on scaling these functions—specifically sales, service, and application engineering—to address the burgeoning demand across industries.
Mr Mohan underscored the significance of developing local talent, technical and commercial. With its expansion, R&S is also investing in intensive training schemes for its customers and employees to build further product insights and improve long-term results.
Aviation Security & Industrial Development: Market Tectonics Are Shifting
India is becoming a hub for cutting-edge security technology, particularly in aviation security. R&S’s whole-body scanners have already passed successful pilots in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa, and Cochin, and interest is picking up across embassies, parliaments, malls, and high-security auditoriums.
With airport traffic exploding and infrastructure growing fast under India’s civil aviation drive, the opportunity is obvious: high-throughput, high-accuracy security screening isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.
In the industrial space, major manufacturers of perfumes, jewellery, and precious metals are turning to technology to mitigate internal theft as well as provide better facility security. Again, here, Mohan observes a willingness to spend money on high-quality, tested technologies.
Product Strategy: Deep RF Expertise, Long-Term Vision
R&S’s worldwide leadership lies in its core competence in RF and wireless Test instrument product ranges extend as high as 170 GHz, up to 330 GHz with frequency extension. The company is perennially among the top T&M manufacturers worldwide in different product segments, from general purpose oscilloscopes or signal generators and analyzers for applications in multiple industries down to the more specialised segments like EMC test equipment.
R&S considers itself a technology partner for the entire wireless communications ecosystem. Together with chipset suppliers, device and infrastructure OEMs, test houses and network operators, the company has enabled connectivity for generations up to 5G and will continue to do so with 6G and beyond. Solutions already address NTN and the new FR3 frequency range, a candidate for 6G, as well as technologies like Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) and Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), enabling the next generation of wireless communication.
Beyond wireless, R&S offers test solutions that cover all kinds of applications in electronics testing, making sure digital designs, power electronics, high-speed digital interfaces, RF and microwave components or medical devices meet the highest quality standards.
The solutions also address all trends in the automotive industry, like connectivity and infotainment systems, automotive radar or in-vehicle networks. And the aerospace and defense sectors rely on R&S test instruments. There are also strong relations within the global research and education community.
Privately owned and proudly independent, R&S has the luxury of long-term thinking. As Mohan puts it, “We invest in technologies that may not be profitable today, but are vital for the future.”
Building Ecosystem Trust: Beyond Sales
R&S’s engagement strategy is wonderfully non-transactional. Their Technology Symposiums are not sales pitches — they’re forums for deep technology sharing, establishing trust throughout the ecosystem with participants such as CDOT, Qualcomm, Samsung, and top academic institutions.
Under this model, selling is a spin-off of honest cooperation and learning, not aggressive prospecting. There is also a change in mindset needed in India, Mohan says — especially when launching non-conventional applications of cutting-edge technology, like full-body scanners in civilian or commercial environments.
Rohde & Schwarz isn’t simply sending equipment to India — it’s inserting itself into India’s technology and security ecosystem. Through sophisticated localisation policy, an audacious talent programme, and an evident product and market strategy, the firm stands ready to contribute to shaping the high-tech destiny of India.
As Mohan concludes, “India is not just a market for us — it’s a strategic hub. We’re building for the long term.”
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