Quite recently, the Indian Home Ministry announced a ban on 59 Chinese mobile apps, stating that the move is to protect India’s security and cyberspace. The MHA also said that the apps posed a threat to the safety of user data and privacy.
And much before the Indian government’s move of banning the China-based apps, a large number of consumers had already started boycotting Chinese apps, software, and hardware in order to show support to the Indian army after the incident at the Line of Actual Control where 20 Indian soldiers were martyred by Chinese soldiers.
However, when it comes to smartphones and related accessories – there is a lot of confusion about whether Chinese Smartphone and accessories brands will also going to be banned from entering the Indian market.
Can we shrug off our import-dependence on China and looks towards local availability?
Speaking on this issue, Gopal Ragunathan J of Anker Innovations says, “In the current scenario, our telecom and accessories brands are dependent on imports from China whether for fully finished products or for procuring components for making in India. Though we are hearing the intended ban on imports from China, we trust and hope that our government will certainly align a suitable alternative before such actions are taken. We as a company totally accept and appreciate our government’s decision and would also work on our alternatives to have a smooth run on our ongoing business.”
Komal Agarwal of Pebble comments, “There are two angles how we can look at products—first, is it a product of Indian brand or foreign brand?; and second, is it manufactured in India or abroad? We are proud that we are an Indian brand and we are also happy that the government is encouraging the Indian brands and domestic manufacturing in India. However, for the type of products we are dealing with, like Bluetooth speakers, headphones, smartwatches, etc, the Indian manufacturing ecosystem is not advanced enough to locally manufacture at present. So we have no alternative other than depending on China.”
Mandeep Arora of UBON mentions that China tops India’s providers’ list, especially where intermediate products and raw materials are concerned. The neighboring country has also been the top source of electrical machinery, nuclear reactors, mobile phone parts, organic and inorganic chemicals, fertilizers as well as vehicles, their parts, and accessories. India imports 45% of its electronics and almost 80% of mobiles and mobile accessories from China.
“A lot of components from China are used by Indian manufacturers in the production of finished goods. Thus, the recent ban initiated by the government of India on imports from China is going to hit the Indian business operations very hard. They will have to find alternate sources to procure certain materials or produce them locally which might increase the cost of operation, ultimately leading to an increase in the prices of the finished products. But at the same time, I’m positive that discouraging imports will help the manufacturing sector tremendously and offer great opportunities,” Mandeep Arora adds.
Sanjeev Bhatia of Adcom says, “Suddenly stopping the shipments at the ports or intended ban on imports from China is already impacting the mobile business in India. There has been a scarcity of all types of mobile materials in the market-leading to price escalations. All the factories and assembly lines and supply chains have been disturbed. All this has only created a lot of chaos and confusion among the Industry that has been already struggling to survive due to Covid-19 and lockdown.”
Tarun Bhutani of Amani speaks, “India has to figure out how to reduce its import-dependence on China. It is not going to be easy to boycott Chinese products. Many Indian manufacturers do admit that the Chinese manufacturing efficiency is far ahead of India’s, and as a result, some of them, instead of manufacturing all components in India, is importing significant amounts from China now and then assembling in India, thereby ensuring lower prices for the Indian as well as global customers. We can decrease the import dependence in the mobile sector through manufacturing as many key components as possible.”
Rajesh Goenka of RP Tech India comments that according to the recent developments, the international freight costs have shot up, which is hitting margin across all the sectors. “On the backdrop of a standoff between India and China, all the manufacturers are cautious about Chinese-origin compliance and the majority of them are now shifting towards manufacturers in other countries, mainly in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. However, we believe that this can a long term plan and results will be visible only in a couple of years,” Rajesh Goenka adds.
Sandeep Popli of Damson, “First, the ban has not yet been imposed but it is clear that the Govt wants to discourage Made in China. However, since the launch of Make in India not enough & concrete efforts were made to boost manufacturing in India. It is not practically possible to stop or partially stop imports from China. And this is going to impact the businesses and consumers badly.”
Jitender Bhatia of JK Enterprises (JBTEK) elaborates, “The imports from China have already started decreasing though they still form a major portion of Indian imports. The ongoing dispute with China is an opportunity for India to become a manufacturing hub and many domestic factories will come up in the coming years. JBTEK has already started manufacturing cables, chargers, etc in its Noida (India) plant. However, for components of high-end products like Bluetooth speakers, we still depend on imports from China.”
Ashish of Inbase states, “Right now we are importing our products from abroad, mainly from China, and not manufacturing in India. But surely, in the coming years, we want to set up manufacturing plants in India, once the COVID-19 epidemic settles down. Make in India and vocal for local are good campaigns. Local manufacturing of products like smartwatches, IoT products, etc has a big future scope in India. Demand for local products is expected to increase further in the coming years as people are growing averse to imports from China.”
Ajay Sharma, Director Sales & Business Development-Intartic Engg Pvt Ltd, says, “Impact on mobile accessories especially on speakers, cables, chargers, headphones earphones, etc will be huge. The Indian mobile tech/accessories industry is largely dependent on Chinese vendors for components even while assembling in India. A ban can adversely affect supply chains in India.”
Nikhil Chopra (telecom veteran) comments, “The impact is huge and can be seen in the depleting bottom lines of the brands all across. Banning woes are felt more on the non-top 3-4 brands and the situation for them is really grim.”
Nishant Patel of Zero1 says, “Obviously, India is a very big market offering umpteen opportunities. Under our brand Zero1, we have been manufacturing power chargers, car chargers, power banks, data cables, etc. We aim to provide gadgets of high quality at affordable prices. We are getting inquiries from some European countries and we want to start exporting them. To push up domestic manufacturing of mobile accessories, the Indian government should provide support in the form of loans, tax discounts, etc to the domestic manufacturers.”
Rajneesh Wadhwan of Glorious Electronics reveals, “Since the standoff with China a few months ago, imports from China are facing bottlenecks, and most distributors are running out of stocks and are they are looking more towards local manufacturers for supplies. Now, Made in India products are in great demand. In the coming years, Indian manufacturing will get a big boost. Recently, we attended the Gytex expo in Dubai. There we noticed that the local partners and customers are comparing the India-made products with China-made products and are looking for alternatives to Chinese made products if available. With China getting negative publicity in recent times, the situation is surely shifting in favor of India. The Indian manufacturers can serve the vast Indian market and can also export to other markets, once they could establish themselves. Indian manufacturers should take advantage of this situation. We have been manufacturing chargers and data cables in India. Recently, we also started manufacturing speakers and Bluetooth earphones in India, which till recently we had been importing from China. Nowadays, most government offices are buying only Made in India products, as far as possible. We are sure that in the next 5 years, most products in the market will be Made in India products. As far as the state support is concerned, the Govt should provide more financial incentives to the manufacturing industry, and the paperwork & admin formalities to start manufacturing units in India should be made simpler.”
Expressing his opinion on this issue, Ajay Arora of Matata India Pvt Ltd comments that while the economy is trying to limp back to normalcy post-lockdown, any disruptions in the supply chain & imports will affect the businesses adversely, making the economy weaker in turn. “Trying to become self-reliant as a country does not happen overnight. There is a long way to go and the journey has to be powered by strategic steps being taken over a period of few years,” he states.
Sanjay Kumar Kalirona of Gizmore asserts, “In certain product categories, we are largely dependent on China, electronics being one of them. While GOI has taken numerous measures to promote ‘Make in India’, the irony remains that it is reduced to ‘Assemble In India’ as raw material/components are still being imported from China. While there is no ban on imports as of now, the recent custom clearance being done in a controlled manner and that is leading to delays. There is a short-term impact on business for sure but we see things returning to normalcy soon.”
Kapil Wadhwa of Champion India briefs, “The Import Blockage will bring the Industry to a standstill. But it is important for the Indian Citizen to support the government. However, for the ban to be effective, the Govt should follow a stepwise approach.”
Prashant Bora of Bora Mobility expresses, “There is no official announcement of the ban so far. However, there were unnecessary delays there in customs for the goods for which all payments have already been made and it caused losses and trouble to Indian entities.”
How the government should react regarding imports from China
Amid this movement to boycott Chinese products, organizations focused on selling mobiles and related accessories are finding it hard to get their products procured from mainland China. There is no such ban on Chinese smartphones and accessories and this has been confirmed by the government of India. So, until any further official statement by the government, it can be safely assumed that a ban is not going to happen anytime soon. But surely the ongoing ban on Chinese apps has shaken the Chinese app development companies as well as the smartphone ecosystem within India.
Rajesh Doshi of Zebronics comments, “There is a lot of speculation in the market about the ban, but the Indian government has not imposed any ban on imports from China so far. There were delays in clearances of the import shipments and so it was being speculated that India is planning to ban Chinese products. But I am sure the Govt. will evaluate pros and cons and then only amend the current policies with an intention to make the ‘Make in India’ initiative successful and not to make any negative impact on the Indian manufacturing as it has appeared to many.”
Tarun Bhutani of Amani, “Overall, smartphone technology has appeared as a primary engine of economic growth, energizing huge private-sector spending in both the R&D and the infrastructure, and profoundly changing daily lives. Now the government wants India to make products and reduce imports from other countries. The vigorous growth in bandwidth and the low cost, have stimulated huge follow-on innovations, ensuring a great variety of new beginners.”
Ajay Sharma, Director Sales & Business Development-Intartic Engg Pvt Ltd says “We fully understand the political implications of banning Chinese products. But the government should also help in streamlining the manufacturing facilities and fund the electronics manufacturing in India”
Sandeep Popli of Damson, “There is a long way before we could become independent of China as far as mobiles and mobile accessories imports are concerned. We still lack the skill sets, infrastructure & ecosystem to manufacture all the products and components. Whatever happening currently is the assembly of SKD. Many Chinese brands are manufacturing in India and this resulted in many Indian brands getting out of business and this is not what we all wanted.”
Anoop Kumar of ZZIN Accessory briefs, “At the moment, we do not have the capability to produce all the components here in India. The government should start by building ancillary industries. It will take years and the gestation period is high but the task should start immediately. A 100% ban on imports from China will not help.”
Sanjeev Bhatia of Adcom comments, “The Indian government’s reaction and imposing a ban on imports from China is very childish, premature and impractical. Ban on imports from China should be always welcomed provided we are ready with our own alternatives which can be done only in planned phases. Since the make in India movement started by the government in 2014, the excitement and momentum have been on the decline which is very sad. There has been no effective ecosystem created locally for the production of core electronic products and that made all the 100 plus mobile assembly factories dependent on China.”
Rajendra Seksaria of Foxin states that no ban is yet announced by the Govt. of India on imports from China in mobiles and mobile accessories, but there is a speculation ban and if it happens it surely will bring about challenges as well as opportunities for the industry.
“Yes, we can do injection molding, assembling & testing, SMD, and packaging. Unfortunately, the component ecosystem is not there in India to manufacture complete mobile accessories from scratch. But we are dependent on components & raw materials from abroad and China being a global choice for its competitive prices to cater to consumers from all sections of the society. Therefore, without serious investment in India in manufacturing of components like ICs, transistors, capacitors, connectors, SMD components, etc it is difficult for electronics item manufacturers not to depend on Chinese supplies. China is catering to 80% of the global electronic components supply chain. But Make in India is certainly is achievable over time,” Rajendra Seksaria elaborates.
Can the Indian mobility industry afford a ban on Imports from China
Expressing his thoughts on the ongoing ban on Chinese products, Gopal Ragunathan of Anker Innovations says, “Our current government has initiated many successful programs and we always trust whatever happens it happens for the best of interest for our country and its citizens. Ban on imports from China will certainly have its implications on a lot of sectors including manufacturing in India. We trust that we will certainly get suitable alternatives when such drastic decisions are taken.”
Mandeep Arora of UBON elaborates, “Indian government has recently imposed a ban on imports from China in order to popularize locally produced/ manufactured products. This move presents a great opportunity for the Indian businessmen to take a lead and scale up their operations to meet the domestic demand. The phrase ‘be vocal about local’ has been popularized in the entire country and local manufacturers are getting preference. This ban can prove to be a turning point for India to make it self-sufficient by pushing up domestic manufacturing.”
Nikhil Chopra (telecom veteran) states, “In my opinion, the government should come out and provide a clear directive. Having said that it’s not that easy considering the international trade regimes and the stakes involved.”
Sanjeev Bhatia of Adcom briefs, “Yes, Indians are already manufacturing some products locally, and we can also locally manufacture complete mobiles & accessories in India without external support but only and only with the right support and help of the government. The government should encourage investments in the R&D and manufacturing of core electronics at chip-level, hardware, batteries, LCD displays, touch panels, etc, which can be private, government, and joint ventures.”
Rajendra Seksaria of Foxin says, “I believe the reactions of the Government of India are well-calibrated and are in the best interest of the country. There are many items that are being imported from China which can be avoided. For example, the import of idols of gods and goddesses, home furnishing items, etc have adversely affected the cottage industry in India. India has tremendous potential in terms of technology and human capital, therefore, we can create world-class products and solutions.”
Ajay Arora of Matata India says that the focus has to change here. While the majority of the accessories business is dependent on imports, the govt has to focus on providing support in such a way that businesses become self-sufficient over a period of time.
“In the electronics industry, we are heavily dependent on raw materials/components sourced from China. Unless we get a foothold in creating an alternative manufacturing base for these in India, we will just be continuing to ‘Assemble in India’ rather than ‘Make in India,” Ajay Arora adds.
Paresh Vij of U&i shares, “We are already making several accessory products and assembling some products in India. But there are certain products like Bluetooth speakers, which, in the present inadequate infrastructure facilities, we cannot manufacture in India with the required quality. For such products our current strategy is to import from abroad and pack them in India with our own packaging material and branding—we call it Pack in India.”
Rajesh Goenka of RP tech says, “The recent skirmish at the Ladakh border between India and China is the first major stand-off after the 1962 war and as patriotic Indians, we stand by the Government of India’s decision. At the same time, we believe that everything will reach a point of equilibrium. In our view, we should plan for self-reliant India.”
Ajay Sharma, Director Sales & Business Development-Intartic Engg Pvt Ltd says, “ Currently, there are cumbersome govt regulations that need to soften for the manufacturers to work smoothly. India can create a good manufacturing setup through new collaborations and innovations.”
Kapil Wadhwa of Champion India believes that a ban on imports from China is desirable but if it is done suddenly without planning, it shall impact the Indian industry more than the Chinese. It will take time to implement and become an Atamnirbhar Bharat.
Vinay Dixit, President, Kolkata Mobile Retailers Welfare Association (KMRWA) states, “Sooner or later India has to become self-reliant. But this needs to be done with proper planning and wait till proper infrastructure is developed in India. Imposing a sudden ban or levying heavy duties on imported products from China will create opportunities for Indian Industries.”
How far can India upscale local manufacturing to replace imports from China?
Many industry experts believe that the recent standoff between India and China and the consequent speculation to impose a ban or additional import duties are prompting companies to look for establishing local manufacturing of products in India.
Gopal Ragunathan of Anker Innovations says, “India is an evolving country with developing infrastructure. We are certainly moving towards self-sustainability, but the transition has to happen on a gradual scale without affecting our current growth and the livelihood of common workers.”
Mandeep Arora of UBON replies, “India is a diverse country with great minds which when put to use can make the country self-sustaining. With proper investment in technology and infrastructure, India can locally manufacture the complete gamut of mobiles and mobile accessories without external support. Many companies are setting up their production units in India due to low labor costs. Once these units grow up, India will not have to import these products; India might rather be able to export mobiles and mobile accessories.”
Kapil Wadhwa of Champion India says, “So far we have been assembling the products imported from abroad. We cannot really call it manufacturing till we are independent of the foreign suppliers of raw materials.”
Nikhil Chopra (telecom veteran) briefs, “For raw materials, we still largely depend on imports from overseas. We are yet to develop the necessary infrastructure here.”
Ajay Arora of Matata India briefs, “For most products, we are only doing the assembly part in India. To meet global quality criteria, we as a country, need to build our core competencies and make in the fields of design, technology & innovation with a vision.”
Rajendra Seksaria of Foxin elaborates, “Yes, we Indians are manufacturing some products locally, but manufacturing the complete line of mobiles & mobile accessories within India without external support is a far cry since we do not have the component ecosystem in place. Critical components that are used in the manufacturing of mobiles & mobile accessories need to be imported. In this context, China has the ecosystem in place thus they have positioned themselves as the global exporter of electronics components though we Indians are doing well in injection molding, SMD, PCBA design, and packaging.”
Rajesh Doshi of Zebronics says, “India has been manufacturing for years and that helped us reduce our dependency on other countries. However, we are still not fully equipped to manufacture on our own. We are expecting that to happen down the line gradually so that dependency on foreign raw materials and components will also gradually reduce. A lot of it depends on the government policies that help to develop a manufacturing ecosystem of the required levels.”
Can we look for sources alternative to China?
Speaking about mobile accessories space, vendors believe that there is a lot more that can be done here – including the exploration of alternative sources for mobile accessories.
Sanjeev Bhatia of Adcom replies, “Yes, India can depend on other alternative overseas sources like Taiwan, Korea, Japan for the technology, know-how, investments in production, R&D, etc for key electronic components like LCD, main chip, memory, etc. Even in China, all the main chipsets, memory, displays, etc are imported from overseas and then assembled. This procedure can be replicated in India.”
Jitender Bhatia of JK Enterprises (JBTEK) elaborates, “As far as looking for alternative sources like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc is concerned, their product prices for the same quality levels are much higher compared to those we get from China. Our wish is to manufacture in India or use Made in India raw materials, components, and products as far as possible. Once, Indian domestic manufacturers establish themselves, they can provide them to the Indian users and can also export to other countries thus making India an export hub. But it will take some more years for India to become an independent manufacturer of global standards.”
Sandeep Popli of Damson tells, “If it is not China, it has to be India only. In our view, there is no alternative we should be looking at and instead should be exploring and strengthening the facilities in India itself. We have enough potential and demand to support Make in India.”
Tarun Bhutani of Amani states, “The electronic items such as smartphones, accessories, and computers form a significant part of India’s import bill. Today, around 88% of the components used by mobile handsets and accessories are imported from countries like China, South Korea, etc.”
Rajesh Goenka of RP tech says, “Mobile phones are already being manufactured in India and backward integration is happening slowly and steadily. However, as far as accessories manufacturing is concerned, we have a long way to go. In our view, accessories manufacturing will take a much longer time to shift to India.”
Rajesh Doshi of Zebronics mentions, “We feel that alternative overseas sources aren’t required especially when one can find such impressive talent, strength, capability, resources, and manpower within India. We have to channelize them and bring more ways and solutions to push the Make in India movement further and make India self-reliant by creating a proper supply chain.”
Nikhil Chopra (telecom veteran) says, “Yes, there are options available which are in fact of much better quality as well, e.g. South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc but there will be an increase in the sourcing cost for sure. Price plays an important part in establishing a brand name in India, hence it’s not gonna be a cakewalk.”
Rajendra Seksaria of Balaji Solutions (Foxin) explains, “China has the advantage of holding more than half of the known global reserves of 9 of the 14 most critical raw materials used in manufacturing mobiles & electronic components. For e.g., China is the largest producer of tungsten that is used to make cell phones vibrate. Sourcing the same from other countries will definitely be costlier and this renders our manufactured items uncompetitive in the market.”
Gopal Ragunathan of Anker Innovations says, “Obviously, we have many overseas alternative sources like Vietnam and Bangladesh where many brands have started focusing on setting up production facilities as well. India can also become a big alternative for many countries for setting up their facilities.”
Ajay Sharma, Director Sales & Business Development-Intartic Engg Pvt Ltd says “The South East Asian countries like Korea / Japan help us design and manufacture and import mobile accessories, but in the long-term local manufacturing is the only alternative. Joint ventures and collaborations can help to take domestic manufacturing forward and govt support in the form of finance and land will be a great help to the industry.”
According to Prashant Bora of BORA Mobility, “It is very difficult to seek alternatives to China as even most Taiwanese manufacturers are having manufacturing units in mainland China and hardly anyone can match China’s might and efficiency in manufacturing. With the huge economies-of-scale and high efficiency of the Chinese laborers, they have been able to establish themselves as the biggest manufacturing hub in the world.”
Anoop Kumar of ZZIN Accessory expresses, “Yes, alternatives like Taiwan, US, Europe, and Korea are there from where we can source and simultaneously start building our own infrastructure. Govt. should pump in a lot of subsidies and tax holidays to promote domestic manufacturing. We hope in 5 yrs India will develop into a self-reliant and global manufacturing hub.”
Mandeep Arora of UBON mentions, “India’s major chunk of mobile accessories are imported from China so India is going to face a tough time if a ban is imposed by the Indian government on imports from China. Statistics have shown that some mobile accessories are imported from Taiwan as well. Thus, India can increase its trade with Taiwan to meet the shortage. But India cannot solely rely on alternative overseas sources due to its large population and high demand so India will have to produce locally as well. This will also benefit the local economy.”
Can India develop a self-reliant manufacturing ecosystem?
Industry players also strongly believe that this new scenario will drive India to become independent and self-reliant and emerge as a leading global manufacturer of its own mobile accessories.
Expressing his opinion on this issue, Anoop Kumar of ZZIN Accessory says, “Yes, India has the potential to become a global leader in the foreseeable future. We have skilled manpower, enough finance, and a big internal market. Now is the time and opportunity to position India as an alternative to China as even as other countries are shifting their bases to countries like Vietnam outside China. Regarding accessories, we have already achieved about 50% Indianization and more can be achieved without much difficulty. Also, the govt should relax import duty on CKD and ban the import of sub-standard accessories.”
Mr. Manoj Kumar Pansari CEO & Founder, Astrum said, “As a smart technology brand committed towards the ‘Made in India’ products range in the mobility and consumer electronics sector.”
We have started manufacturing these products in our Indian plant near Tirupati. We are giving the price benefit to the Indian users; we can also supply products to the partners with short notice–within 1-3 days. Our message to all our partners should support Make India products to make Modi’s vision “Vocal for Local”.
Gopal Ragunathan of Anker Innovations says, “India is very strong in many aspects like the growing infrastructure, ports for easy access, availability of skilled manpower and on the top of all a huge consumer base. With all these factors considered, India can and will become independent and self-reliant and emerge as a leading global manufacturer in the near future.”
Mandeep Arora of UBON says, “Make in India will play a huge role in the coming years. The frictions between India and China and the consequent developments will drive many new players to enter the market to produce to meet the increasing demand for mobile accessories in India. With great resilience and investment in information and technology, India can easily scale new heights and become self-reliant.”
Kapil Wadhwa of Champion India asserts, “If done in a phased and consistent manner, it will surely bring a change. We also need to create an ecosystem for the ease of doing business to boost manufacturing. In case the Import Duty is increased, it will not impact China but will impact the pockets of the Indian customers. But China will continue to thrive as the costs of their products still remain lower than the costs of goods from other countries. The government should think with a cool mind and plan rather than making new rules on impulse.”
D K Bharti of ePing says, “At ePing, we have already been manufacturing under Make in India program and further we have our own brand. The current trend in India is a good opportunity for domestic manufacturers and Indian brands. With the right support from the government, India can surely become a global manufacturing hub providing products of international standards.”
Prashant Bora of BORA Mobility mentions, “Optimistically speaking, the current scenario should help India become self-reliant. But again, to become independent and self-reliant, we need to ensure the development of complete value-chain and ecosystem in India. It includes skill-building, logistics handling, and developing ancillary units that will work in tandem so that an efficient manufacturing system will evolve. To boost Make in India and PMP, the encouraging government policies and enhanced ease of doing business are of paramount importance.”
Ajay Arora of Matata India says, “We as a country have to take some strong strategic calls on this matter. While we allow foreign entities to take a chunk of our market share, we should also push them to invest their profits back into local manufacturing of the key components. Putting these riders will not only help us become self-reliant but also will create jobs and boost our economy. We can look at Korea & Japan as alternative-R&D partners to help develop key parts in India. Nevertheless, the govt at the same time has made doing business in India easy, strengthen the infrastructure, and develop industrial parks across India.”
Kannav of Blackzone comments, “Nearly five years after launching Make in India, the initiative is picking up momentum. Now people are more willing to purchase Made in India products than before. The government should create a system where we can get all the raw materials and components. Then vocal for local will be really successful.”
Rajendra Seksaria of Balaji Solutions (Foxin) mentions, “China’s ecosystem was not built in a day. Their domestic production initiative started in the 1970s and down the years they have built their entire framework of mass production with immense support like huge power subsidy, financial incentive, and compliance benefits from the Chinese government. India too can make this happen much faster with the Make in India Initiative. For example, we at Balaji Solutions, have set up our own factory in India last year and making some of the mobile accessories that we were previously imported from China. But to emerge as a leading global manufacturing hub requires active government intervention in the form of incentives to specific sectors, not only to startups but also to the existing manufacturers. The standoff between India and China opens up new opportunities for Indians. There has to be a whitepaper with a clear roadmap for the electronics & mobility industry so that the existing and the future entrepreneurs can align themselves, and with a collective will we can emerge as a global manufacturing hub in the years to come.”
Mr. Sukanta Dey Veteran of the Telecom Industry “Yes, Indians will be forced to seriously pursue local manufacturing and this will lead to self-reliance. It will make India one of the leading global manufacturers of mobile accessories, driven by a domestic consumption”
Rajesh Goenka of RP tech explains, “With the current Government’s focus on self-reliant India and policies in place to achieve this objective, we hope India will soon become a manufacturing hub. However, we believe things will not change overnight and rather happen in a phased manner.”
Harish Joshi, LRIPL, says, “We are a true make In India company operating for more than two decades now. We are best known for Remote Control and leading the industry in the same segment however the other products under the umbrella are Set Top Box, Power Adapters, CCTV Power supplies, Mobile charger, Data & Audio-Video Cables. You will be seeing other products too in the gamut very soon. We serve both end consumers as well as businesses. I see a very huge scope in manufacturing consumer electronics in India. There is no doubt that India is the next manufacturing superpower & all we need to do is to prepare ourselves for it in the right direction. The recent government-led campaigns Vocal for Local & Make in India coupled with situations like COVID 19 and China standoff have created ample room for Indian brands & manufacturers to set the scale & grab the opportunity. Considering the kind of infrastructure we have for electronics manufacturing, I am sure we can deliver far better in the consumer segment & come up with various other consumer electronic products however in the business segment we can work with companies who are looking to get their products made in India only. We are already manufacturing and exporting electronic products for a few of the foreign clients however the future focus would be to explore more and do better in export. The government too has a major role to play in boosting local manufacturing. It can be in terms of making investment-friendly policies, announcing incentives, reducing tax slab, and promote sustainable manufacturing. I hope India will become an independent manufacturer of electronic items in the coming years.”
Sanjeev Bhatia, Adcom, “I am very optimistic that the new scenario will drive India to become independent and self-reliant and emerge as a leading global manufacturer of its own in mobiles and accessories. As mentioned above, it is not impossible for India to follow the model of China and get all the know-how and technology through joint ventures with overseas manufactures from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. The government support is crucial to make such projects lucrative for overseas and local investors. If the government is really serious, it can be done with ease but practically we all from the industry know that Make in India is not being handled properly. The small and medium-size local players who have invested and started manufacturing with great enthusiasm and excitement today are on the verge of closure. This is where the role of government is very crucial. How can you let the units of Make in India who are competing with China get closed? Today, there is no difference in duty structure between importing finished goods and parts and there are no incentives for local manufacturing. We have plans to manufacture in India, serve the local demand, and then to export mobiles and accessories, but current government policies are not supportive enough to beat the competition from China. If the government helps us to grow up in manufacturing key components independently or in collaboration with overseas players, then the government should incentives and make investments to create R&D centers and ecosystems. To put it in a nutshell, we Indians have the ability to emerge as a leading global manufacturer for mobiles and accessories but we need the government’s support similar to support the Chinese companies have been getting from the Chinese government for over 4 decades. That is the one and the only missing link in the case of India.”
Nikhil Chopra Telecom Veteran says, “Historically, such tumultuous events like pandemics, wars, etc gave rise to new inventions, techniques, and new world orders. It’s time we all stay positive and start thinking on those lines and keep working towards making India a self-reliant nation in terms of the manufacturing of mobile accessories. We have the expertise, technology, skills, and money; the only thing we require now is the will. It’s high time we start grabbing our share of the pie in the world.”
Sukanta Dey (telecom veteran) says, “Yes, Indians will be forced to seriously pursue local manufacturing and this will lead to self-reliance. It will make India one of the leading global manufacturers of mobile accessories, driven by domestic consumption.”
Sandeep Popli of Damson, “The new scenario has pushed all of us to reinvent our dependence on China and has motivated us to become ‘Atamnirbhar.’ For the Indian manufacturers to emerge as an alternative to China, core technology transfer is crucial, not just the assembling techniques. We need the ecosystem to build the required components in India so that Indian companies can offer an option to the world in this segment especially when sentiments are not in favor of China in many countries. To make a beginning, we are planning to set up a plant in India to manufacture mobiles & accessories.”
Vinay Dixit of KMRWA says, “Self-reliant Bharat is not only a dream come true for us but is also our need of this hour. India as a country has all the potential to march ahead of China. With more focus on exports, India can become a Global Leader in manufacturing. We as a country are already moving in the right direction and soon results will be evident.”
Tarun Bhutani of Amani, “After China, India is the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. We have achieved tremendous success in mobile and mobile accessories manufacturing in the last few years with more than 95% of domestic needs being met by local production. The Make in India and Digital India programs have helped to make India a new mobile manufacturing center.”