The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India, launched a two year scheme, called Communication and Brand Building (C&BB), in August last year. The objective was to give a boost to the domestic electronics manufacturing industry by bringing all stakeholders including industry, media, academia, Central and state governments, R&D and trade bodies within the ambit of this scheme.
By Richa Chakravarty
Thursday, February 23, 2012: The scheme plans to build awareness at three levels—through college workshops, state level workshops, and workshops on specific verticals. As the name suggests, C&BB has been initiated to build the Indian brand by creating awareness among all stakeholders about the importance of the electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) sector. Its main aim is to build and turn the ‘made in India’ brand into a global leader in electronic products. This scheme also aims to create awareness regarding initiatives taken by the government to increase investments in the ESDM sector, motivate existing and potential investors—both foreign and domestic—to invest in this sector, create a demand driven atmosphere, and build a culture of innovation and product development.
The benefits
Under this scheme, financial aid will be provided for the workshops and conferences conducted in colleges and states, as well as for any specific industry vertical. The grant provided under this scheme is targeted to uplift domestic manufacturing through innovation, R&D, workshops, seminars and conferences. So any new project, product, research and innovation conducted with the objective to boost local manufacturing will receive financial support through this scheme.
The total outlay of this scheme is Rs 180 million, which will be divided between the three types of workshops and conferences discussed earlier. For college workshops, every year, the C&BB steering committee will identify four UGC recognised government universities in each state. To reach out to the academia and students, a total sum of Rs 3.5 million has been assigned.
Similarly, for the electronics hardware industry, various industry associations, trade bodies and apex chambers have been asked to organise industry conferences and workshops. Such workshops at the state level will be supported by a grant of Rs 0.2 million per workshop, and each workshop on specific verticals (like solar, LED) will be supported by a grant of Rs 0.5 million.
The responsibility of conducting these workshops will lie with various associations and apex bodies like the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Indian Cellular Association (ICA), Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT), India Semiconductor Association (ISA), CMAI, ELCINA, LEDMA and CEAMA.
Eligibility criteria for obtaining benefits
Any manufacturer or company that wants to obtain benefits under this scheme must boost domestic manufacturing or propagate India-made products. Any individual company wanting to avail benefits from this scheme must, necessarily, be a member of any one of the associations mentioned above. Workshops on specific verticals must also be proposed by industry associations and other bodies, with the final decision being taken by the C&BB steering committee. Government institutions are also eligible for a grant of Rs 30,000 per workshop. A maximum of four workshops in a year in a state can be organised under this scheme.
Several proposals for state level workshops have already been received and are under consideration for grant in aid. The LED workshop, which was organised in Delhi in September 2011, was financed under this scheme.
Communication and brand building campaign: Grant in aid activities
|
Component |
Estimation basis (cost in Rs) |
Target 2011-13 |
Estimated expenses 2011-13 (Rs) |
| Support to state level workshops |
Rs 200,000 per workshop |
20 state level workshops |
4,000,000 |
|
Specific verticals related national workshops |
Rs 500,000 per workshop |
11 workshops over 2 years |
5,500,000 |
|
National conference on ESDM and onsite props |
Rs 2.5-3 million per year |
2 conferences |
6,000,000 |
|
Industry conferences |
On the lines of support offered to key events such as eIndia, IGF, etc |
Conferences approved by competent authority |
2,500,000 |
|
Outreach for academia and students |
Rs 3.5 million per year |
Government institutions, four UGC recognised universities per state per year |
7,000,000 |
|
Total 25,000,000 |
|||
Electronics Bazaar, South Asia’s No.1 Electronics B2B magazine
