Resumption of mobile phone production depends on state govts: ICEA

The mobile phone industry body, whose members include firms like Apple, Foxconn, Wistron, Flextronics, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Huawei and Lava, said the government orders will facilitate sale of mobile devices in green and orange zones, where either there are no coronavirus cases or they are decreasing.

New Delhi:While the home ministry has allowed manufacturing of IT hardware across the country, restoration of mobile phone production will now depend on the action of state governments, industry body ICEA said on Friday.

The mobile phone industry body, whose members include firms like Apple, Foxconn, Wistron, Flextronics, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Huawei and Lava, said the government orders will facilitate sale of mobile devices in green and orange zones, where either there are no coronavirus cases or they are decreasing.

India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said that the two-week lockdown extension notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appropriately undertakes significant measures whereby economic and manufacturing activities have been reopened in a calibrated manner.

"The latest notification gives clarity on opening of retail shops and e-commerce sales for non-essential items. We support the decision and agree that there should be minimal activity in red zones. MHA has already clarified on movements of trucks that serve as lifeline of industry. Now restoration of mobile device production will depend on action of state governments," Mohindroo told PTI.

The industry has been repeatedly requesting the government to allow sale of non-essential items specially mobile devices to support work from home and access to emergency services during the lockdown.

Survey agency LocalCircles, in a poll conducted in mid-April, found that 68 per cent parents said their children need textbooks for online school classes, while 24 per cent parents said they did not have a screen (desktop/ laptop/ tablet) for children to access online classes.

According to ICEA, around 2.5 crore people are estimated to be looking for replacement of their mobile devices due to some fault in the gadgets.

Mohindroo said the home ministry's order to allow offices to open with 33 per cent workforce will help industry in getting back to normal very soon.

(PTI Report)