Apple vendors, Samsung apply under production-linked incentive scheme: IT Minister
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says new production-linked incentive programme has invoked 'favourable and energetic response' from Indian and international companies.
The Modi government aims to make India a global hub for electronic manufacturing, said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a press conference today. He said the production-linked incentive programme had "invoked favourable and energetic response" from not just Indian companies but also international ones.
As part of the policy, which was announced on April 1, electronic companies, Indian as well as international, will be given incentives to manufacture mobile phones and other components in India.
Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice, and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad
The government has apparently received 22 applications to function under this scheme. The international companies include giants like US-based Apple, Korea-headquartered Samsung, Taiwan-based Pegatron and Foxconn etc. Lava, Micromax, Dixon Technologies, and Padget Electronics are the Indian companies that have applied under the scheme.
The proposals submitted by these businesses will now be reviewed and 10 companies will be shortlisted. Around 12 lakh jobs will also be generated from the scheme; three lakh will be in the form of direct employment and nine lakh in the form of indirect employment.
The list of international companies that submitted their proposals did not see any Chinese names pop up. Political rifts with the country have led to anti-China sentiments and a clarion call to boycott Chinese goods have intensified.
However, the minister said, "The scheme not against any country but it is only India-positive."
Ravi Shankar Prasad also urged industry stakeholders to work on strengthening the supply chain in the ecosystem. He added that India had the potential to become a global electronic hub because of three factors: ease of doing business had increased in the country over the years, the presence of talented and skilled engineers, and, most importantly, because India itself was a big market for electronics.
The minister also noted that the country's electronic production had risen by 23 percent in the last few months.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
