The government has issued strict guidelines to all ministries asking them to give preference to domestically manufactured electronic products, a move aimed at boosting electronics production as part of PM Narendra Modi's `Make in India' drive.
A committee of secretaries has decided that all ministries and departments should identify department-specific domestically manufactured electronic products for procurement and notify them within a fortnight, a statement from the PMO said. All government departments have been asked to adhere to a tender template already issued by the department of electronics and information technology for procurement of electronic items.
The department of electronics and IT has also been asked to put in place an online monitoring system for reporting by ministries and departments and states on procurement of electronic products.
“This system, to be operationalized in a fortnight, will capture the break-up of domestically manufactured electronic equipment by value,” the statement said.
Industry leaders cheered the move. “We are hopeful that if this is implemented in letter and spirit, it will lead to creation of an electronics manufacturing hub in India. We look forward for a formal notification from the government in this matter,” said N K Goyal, chairman of Telecom Equipment Manufacturing Association of India.
Some experts said the decision should be followed through to ensure that it is implemented. “After seeing the non-implementation of preferential market access, this is a good decision by the government. It should have been taken long back. Now it needs to be supported with statutory provisions. Wishfully, it should be extended to all the purchases in India, whether government or private,” said Ravi Sharma, chairman, CMAI (Association of India Communication Multimedia and Infrastructure) .
