Local production rise mitigates electronics import growth rate: IT Min

The government today said domestic production of electronic items in the country has increased due to measures implemented under National Policy on Electronics 2012 and their import growth rate has declined in last three years.

"As a result of initiatives taken by the Government under the aegis of National Policy on Electronics, 2012, the domestic production of electronic items has increased substantially and the growth rate of import of electronic items has declined during the last three years," Minister of state for electronics and IT K J Alphons informed the Rajya Sabha today.

He said many mobile phone companies, including Apple, Samsung, Nokia (TNS), HTC, LG, Lava, Intex and computer firms HP, Lenovo, Dell, Cisco etc have started making their products in India.

"While the domestic production of electronic items is not sufficient to meet the indigenous demand, it is increasingly being met out of domestic production," Alphons said.

According to data shared by the minister, domestic production in value terms has increased to over Rs 3.17 lakh crore from around Rs 1.8 lakh crore between 2013-14 and 2016-17. The domestic production registered rise of 5.49 per cent, 27.79 per cent and 30.45 per cent, respectively in last three years.

The import of electronic items though increased to around Rs 2.78 lakh crore from Rs 2.16 lakh crore between 2013-14 to 2016-17, the growth rate decline from 12.94 per cent to 9.06 per cent and further to 4.74 per cent in the last fiscal year.

The export of electronic item from the country also grew to Rs 38, 759 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 38,737 crore in 2015-16, thereby registering a growth rate of 0.06 per cent.

The minister said the government has taken various steps to boost local manufacturing of electronic items, which include incentives, grant for research and development, duty interventions etc.