At a time when India is poised to become a global manufacturing hub for mobile phones and components, Pankaj Mohindroo, National President, Indian Cellular Association (ICA), has asked Chinese companies to partner with Indian firms for setting up a manufacturing base in the country.
Mohindroo added that they are targeting 500 million mobile phones manufacturing by 2019, along with a robust component industry and the Chinese partners will help India in achieving this.
Speaking at the second India-China Mobile Phones and Accessories Manufacturing Summit, organised here under the first edition of the three-day mobile fair, India Mobile Diwali (IMD), Mohindroo said there is a huge emerging opportunity in component manufacturing in India now.
The event, aimed at strengthening the Indian mobile phone and component manufacturing ecosystem in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives, is held at a time when Indians are strongly opposing the use of “Made in China” products.
Urging Chinese companies to take advantage of the new investment and manufacturing opportunities in India, policy initiatives and increased ease of business, Aruna Sundarajan, Secretary Ministry of Electronics, IT, Government of India, said Indian talent and Chinese innovation can be a very potent fusion. She also pointed out that Chinese companies need to look at India as a partner in ‘Make in India’ programme and not only as a market destination for their products.
The three-day fair, organised by Mobile World (Shoujibao), China’s leading Mobile Industry service platform in association with the Indian Cellular Association, the apex body representing the mobile handset Industry in India, saw participation from industry bigwigs like Peter Lee, COO Huawei, Josh Foulger, MD Foxconn, Keshav Bansal, Director, Intex, S.N. Rai, Co-founder and Director, Lava, and over 300 investment delegations and mobile phone companies and component manufacturers from China and India.
A high-level Investment Delegation from China’s mobile phone industry will be on a six-day India visit from October 21-26 to participate in India Mobile Diwali Expo.
By Baishakhi Dutta
