Launching the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS), Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Apple could move beyond manufacturing only iPhones in India, signalling the possibility of the company expanding its manufacturing footprint to products such as MacBooks and iPads.
Vaishnaw was responding to a question seeking clarity on whether Apple could start manufacturing MacBooks and iPads in India, to which he responded, “yes. Vaishnaw also stressed the importance of building design capabilities in India, particularly as the government seeks to promote Indian-owned mobile-phone companies capable of competing globally. The focus is on ensuring that domestic manufacturers develop their own intellectual property, product design and technology capabilities.
His comments come as the government seeks to use the new Rs 62,500-crore scheme to move India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem beyond scale and assembly, towards deeper localisation, design and research capabilities. He said the government has identified three potential Indian smartphone players that could emerge over the next 10-14 months, and that these companies had been asked to develop the best designs for the segments in which they intend to compete. An Indian brand must be incorporated in India, hold its intellectual property and trademark in India, have management control with Indian citizens, have more than 51 per cent Indian citizen shareholding, and maintain in-house R&D and design capabilities in India, according to the scheme notification.
“At this point of time, three potential players could emerge,” Vaishnaw said, adding that the government sees potential for Indian brands to emerge in the coming months. The government, Vaishnaw said, is looking beyond simply getting Indian companies to manufacture phones. Vaishnaw said the government would examine the IP and quality of designs being developed by potential Indian players before extending support.
