Explore new opportunities, arising out of COVID-19 adversity: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Electronics and Information Technology, Communications Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad urged prominent industry players to come up with innovative ideas so as to strengthen the economy amid COVID-19 crisis.

New Delhi: Amid COVID-19 outbreak Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad exhorted the electronics industry to explore new opportunities that are arising out of the adversity so that the country can be turned into a global hub of electronics manufacturing.

During a meeting with Electronics Industry Associations, prominent Industry players, Ravi Shankar Prasad requested them to take advantage of the opportunity and new schemes introduced by the ministry in order to attract global investment and strengthen the sector.

He emphasized the role of Medical Electronics Industry that is at a point of a complete turnaround. Union minister on Tuesday had a meeting with State IT ministers as they expressed solidarity and commitment to work together. Industry representatives presented “Restart, Restore and Resurgence” model to capture the global opportunity in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector.

Majority of the participants appreciated the new trilogy of schemes, namely, PLI, SPECS and EMC2.0; introduced to support the electronics manufacturing sector.

Sources say, IT Industry raised various issues related to working of factories, logistics, export, supply chain disruption and demand shock due to COVID-19. The ministry officials presented the current COVID-19 statistics and conveyed a token of thanks to the mobile industry for their support in making the Aarogya Setu app reach around 8 crore mobile phones in the country.

The efforts made by the Ministry to handle the situation in the short term, medium-term and long term perspective so as to minimize the effect of COVID-19 were presented during the meeting.

It was also mentioned that major electronics manufacturing clusters are facing local restrictions because of their presence in high-risk zones like Noida, Greater Noida, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh among others.

Officials also appreciated the support received from the industry in formulation of new schemes for the promotion of electronics industry and SOP guidelines for COVID-19.

Union Minister instructed the ministry officials to extend full support to the industry and liaison with states/ UTs for reopening of electronics manufacturing facilities.

The meeting on Wednesday was attended by major Associations, Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT), Indian Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA), PhD Chambers, Indian Telephone Industry Limited (ITI).

It was also attended by various Industry leaders in mobile, consumer electronics, telecom and other segments of electronics manufacturing such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Foxconn, Lava, Wistron, Oppo, Flex, Sterlite, Micromax, Deki Electronics, Tejas Networks Ltd, Panasonic.