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At the Telecom Leadership Forum 2025, Pashupati Singh, Director, Account Management, Ciena India, delivered a keynote address focusing on the convergence of high-speed connectivity innovation and sustainability.
Ciena India’s global presence
Opening his address, Singh reflected on Ciena’s 23-year journey in building resilient network infrastructure. The company has been present in India for over 20 years and currently employs over 8,000 people globally, with 3,000 based in India, supported by a significant R&D setup.
“We build networks differently,” Singh stated, emphasising the commitment to innovation, supported by over 2,200 patents and 3,800 R&D specialists. He stated that Ciena serves more than 1,600 customers worldwide and generates over USD 4 billion in revenue, with USD 1.6 billion in cash reserves.
From connecting people to Network-to-Network connectivity
Singh noted the shift in telecom trends, particularly with the rise of generative AI and large language models (LLMs). “We’re witnessing a transition from connecting people to networks to networks connecting—especially between data centres,” he said, pointing to the explosion in traffic volume measured in petabits.
This shift requires extensive electronics deployment, which in turn raises energy consumption and heat dissipation issues. Singh highlighted Ciena’s response to these challenges through energy-efficient technologies.
Technological advancements driving sustainability
Ciena has led developments in coherent optical technologies. The company is the only supplier of 1.6 Tbps single-lambda coherent optics as of 2025. Singh explained, “A single 1.6 Tbps lambda means fewer components, reduced electricity usage, and less infrastructure—all with the same power footprint as our previous generation product from 2020.”
Ciena’s innovation extends to pluggable devices for GPON technology, enabling power-efficient service delivery to passive optical network customers. The company also promotes centralised architectures via cloud-native OSS and multi-domain controllers to further reduce power and infrastructure requirements.
Sustainability as a core strategy
Singh outlined Ciena’s commitment to climate goals:
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Scope 1 & 2 Emissions: Reduce by 80.6% from 2019 levels by 2030
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Scope 3 Emissions: Reduce by 71.3% from 2019 levels by 2030
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Temperature Target: Align impact to limit global warming to 1.5°C
Key sustainability initiatives
Ciena has adopted a six-pronged approach to sustainability:
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Impact Management: Employee engagement through the Ciena AIR program and afforestation efforts, including a Ciena forest in India and North America. A tree is planted for every new employee hired.
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Renewable Energy: Deployment of solar power across global facilities, including Ciena’s Gurgaon office and labs.
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Remote Work Culture: Encouragement of hybrid and remote working to reduce emissions from employee commuting.
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Carbon Neutrality: Ciena achieved its 2024 carbon neutrality goal and is now progressing towards its 2030 science-based targets.
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Energy-Efficient Facilities: Offices utilise LED lighting and advanced building systems. On-site solar PV capacity is being expanded.
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Sustainable Packaging: Packaging now consists of at least 70% recycled content by weight, with plans to reach 100% recyclability.
“These initiatives are not just internal goals. They align with regulatory expectations, such as those from the Government of India, and with what our customers increasingly demand,” Singh noted.
Social responsibility through Ciena Care
Beyond environmental goals, Ciena supports social impact programs through the Ciena Care initiative. In 2024, employees contributed USD 3.9 million towards social causes, which the organisation matched. Volunteers also contributed over 37,000 hours in community engagement activities, including collaboration with foundations such as the Bharatiya Kal Foundation.
Written by Bharti Trehan