Investment worth Rs 67.74 bn from Samsung, Oppo approved under MSIPS for UP

Electronics manufacturing has got huge potential in UP and around half of the country's mobile making units are based in Noida and Greater Noida in the state. The Centre has also approved investment worth Rs 67.74 billion from Samsung and OPPO combined under the MSIPs policy for the state.

As part of the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS), the Centre gives various benefits to promote domestic manufacturing of electronic goods.

Speaking during the UP Investors Summit, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there were only two mobile manufacturing facilities in India in May 2014 but the number has increased to 118 now, of which 54 are in Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The units produce mobile handsets, batteries, chargers and accessories, and soon production of circuits will start as the government has given duty protection for the same.

As per data shared by an industry association, by 2020, 96 per cent of the total mobile phones used in India would be manufactured locally.

The Minister said menstrual hygiene has been a matter of serious concern and Common Service Centers (CSCs) have been instrumental in spreading awareness about the issue. "Over 50,000 women village level entrepreneurs have been put into this job to set up such awareness centres and they are selling sanitary pads at Rs 5 only," Prasad said. There are 83,000 CSC gram panchayats in Uttar Pradesh, of which 9,000 are run by women. "So far there are 12 sanitary pad manufacturing units opened in the state, and by March-April, another 100 will open up," the Minister added.