'Indigenisation of digitisation will help generate jobs'

The move to indigenise the digitisation drive of television systems will help in generating employment and attracting investment, domestic Set Top Box (STB) manufacturers told the government.
The manufacturers also thanked the government for extending tax benefits to them via Form 'C', at a meeting with the Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka yesterday to review their readiness to meet the demand of 11 crore STBs for Phase-III and IV of Cable TV digitisation, the ministry said in a statement today.
"The manufacturers appreciated the efforts of the government for resolving their long pending demand of C-form. They informed that they have sufficient installed capacity to meet full demand of STBs locally," the ministry said.

They said that the measures taken to promote digitisation will help the indigenous manufacturing industry is likely to give employment to about 50,000 people and attract investment of about Rs 500 crore.
The move would generate local support facility for repair of STBs and also help in smooth implementation of digitization initiative in the country, the statement said quoting the manufacturers.
After taking charge of the I&B ministry, Prakash Javadekar had taken up the issue of supporting indigenous manufacturing of STBs.
On Aug 13, 2014, Ministry of Finance extended the facility of Form 'C' under section 8(3)(b) of Central Sales Tax Act 1956 to Set Top Boxes.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by members of Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) and representatives from STB manufacturers such as My Box Technologies, Dixon Technology, Videocon, Jabil, One-Eight Technologies, Skyworth Digital, Spectra Innovations, Indieon, Logic Eastern, and Simmtronics.