Mobile phones with Indian brand - Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that the government has set a target to make India more self-reliant in the smartphone sector. He said that the target is to have mobile phones manufactured by Indians, manufactured in India and sold with Indian brands by October 23, 2028. On October 23, he participated in the World Summit organized by a national media organisation in Delhi. On this occasion, key comments were made on self-reliance in the mobile phone market.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister said: He said that while India's mobile phone manufacturing capacity is increasing, the country needs to move forward in terms of indigenous design, technology and brand development. The idea is to develop an Indian mobile brand that can compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the global market. He explained that the design of a mobile phone is a very complex process. In a limited space, many components such as antenna, radio frequency communication systems, processor, memory, camera module, display, power management system etc. need to be coordinated. Factors such as phone weight, power consumption and performance also need to be balanced.

Three years ago, Indian designers were challenged to create a critical printed circuit board (PCB) on a mobile phone. Two companies have come forward in this effort. One of the company's designs has been recognized by a leading telecom service provider in the United States. Vaishnav said the company has developed a 5G-capable mobile phone and supplied it to a leading telecom service provider in the US. He said that the government intends to use this technological capability developed in the last three and a half years towards maintaining Indian brand, indigenous design and IP rights in India.

On the other hand, along with mobile phones, the manufacturing of drones, missiles, trains and modern technology equipment is also expanding in India, the Minister said. He said that electronics products have gained a significant place in the country's exports and today electronics is the third largest export segment. He expressed hope that it will reach the second position soon. He said that the changes in the economy from 1990 to 2004 were favourable for the manufacturing sector. Vaishnaw said that between 2004 and 2014, the trend of policy regulation increased again. He said that since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been giving priority to domestic manufacturing through the 'Make in India' programme.