India Aims to Boost Electronics Manufacturing for Self-Reliance

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized the necessity of accelerating domestic production in the electronics sector during a meeting with industry representatives and government officials on Wednesday. Highlighting the significant import figures, Goyal called for greater self-reliance in both final products and components.

The statement from the Commerce Ministry underscored that India's electronic goods imports surged by 17 percent to USD 56.15 billion between April and September this year. In contrast, the thriving export market rose 42 percent, while smartphone exports notably increased by 58 percent, culminating at USD 13.38 billion.

Discussions also focused on negotiations for the free trade agreement with the EU, UK, and EFTA, which aim to broaden opportunities for Indian electronics manufacturers. Schemes such as the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) are instrumental in reinforcing domestic manufacturing to achieve the goal of USD 180-200 billion in electronics exports by 2031.