JULY 20249TOP STORIESTELECOM PLI SCHEME SURPASSES INR 50,000 CRORE MILESTONE IN THREE YEARSSales of telecom equipment have surpassed the Rs 50,000 crore milestone under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Within three years of its inception, the Telecom PLI scheme has attracted an investment of Rs 3,400 crore, resulting in telecom equipment production exceeding Rs 50,000 crore, with exports reaching approximately Rs 10,500 crore.According to a press release by the Ministry of Communication, this accomplishment reflects the success of governmental efforts to bolster domestic manufacturing and reduce import dependence, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.' This achievement has resulted in the creation of more than 17,800 direct jobs and numerous indirect employment opportunities, underscoring the robust growth and competitiveness of India's telecom manufacturing sector.Government initiatives aimed at promoting local production and reducing import dependency have played a pivotal role in this success, aiming to bolster domestic manufacturing capabilities and position India as a global hub for telecom equipment production.The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronic Manufacturing of Electronics, encompassing mobile phone and component manufacturing, has significantly boosted both production and export figures. From producing 5.8 crore mobile phones and importing 21 crore units in 2014-15, India manufactured 33 crore phones domestically in 2023-24, with only 0.3 crore units imported and nearly 5 crore units exported.The value of mobile phone exports surged from Rs 1,556 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1,28,982 crore in 2023-24, highlighting substantial growth and reduced import reliance. This growth signifies the effectiveness of the PLI scheme and the government's commitment to enhancing India's manufacturing capabilities in the telecom sector. SIGNIFICANT RISE IN DEFENCE PRODUCTION VALUEThe defence production in India has come up as one of the emerging trends which have recorded its highest ever growth with production value of almost Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24. This was recently announced by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which is 17 percent higher than the budget estimate of Rs 1,08,684 crore of the last fiscal. This rise also further corroborates the increasing Indian capacities and depicts a healthy upward trend in the last five years where the production has increased by over 60 percent compared to the FY 2019-20.Singh's statement does not deviate from the new narrative of India's defence profile, particularly in the context of the Make in India campaign that has been instrumental in the development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities. He applauded the efforts of DPSUs as well as the private players who have worked hard to take the sector to the next level. During 2023-24, the DPSUs and other public sector undertakings have constituted 79.2 percent of the total production value, the private sector however showed great improvement contributing 20.8 percent.This upward trend means more than figures; it symbolizes direction change supported by government policies towards ease of doing business and self-sufficiency. These and other improvements indicate that as India progresses in establishing itself as a defence manufacturing powerhouse, the nation's industrial prospects are indeed bright.
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