The telecom industry has urged the government to establish physical infrastructure, including power-equipped buildings and sheds, as part of a ‘plug and play’ model, to boost India’s equipment and product manufacturing. The suggestions came in response to a proposal from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding setting up telecom manufacturing zones in the country.
Dr Neeraj Mittal, secretary, DoT met with executives from telcos and gear manufacturers to discuss setting up telecom zones. The DoT aims to determine whether existing industrial clusters should be used for creating telecom-specific zones or if new areas need exploration. Meanwhile, Mittal created a working group to ask contract manufacturers for specific suggestions on zone creation.
The industry is advocating for manufacturing zones near airports and development of social infrastructure like malls and hotels for holistic development. The government is prioritising development of 4G and 5G stacks to become self-sufficient in telecom equipment manufacturing and an exporter, competing with companies like Sweden’s Ericsson, Finland’s Nokia, and South Korea’s Samsung. This aims to promote holistic development and competitiveness in the industry.
As per DoT, telecom manufacturing in India will create more job opportunities, build skilled manpower, and save foreign exchange. In addition, DoT’s production-linked incentive scheme has reduced India’s reliance on imported equipment, resulting in a 60 per cent import substitution. Additionally, Indian manufacturers are competing globally, offering high-quality products at competitive prices.
