The Centre on Friday approved 22 additional investment proposals amounting to ₹41,863 crore under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS). With these fresh approvals, the total number of companies cleared under the scheme has risen to 46, with cumulative proposed investments of ₹54,567 crore.
Companies approved in this round include TDK India, BPL, Wipro Hydraulics, Motherson Electronic Components, Tata Electronics, Foxconn subsidiary Yuzhan Technology, Samsung Display, Dixon Technologies and Hindalco, among others.
The newly cleared firms will manufacture a wide range of electronic components such as capacitors, lithium-ion cells for electronic devices, copper-clad laminates, enclosures, anode materials, connectors, displays and camera module sub-assemblies.
After issuing approval letters, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw underlined the need for all companies to build in-house design capabilities. He said every firm should have a design team, regardless of size or cost, adding that even a small team would be a good starting point.
The minister also suggested that companies approved under the scheme should work with industry bodies and educational institutions to develop standardised design facilities that could benefit the wider industry. He asked firms and their associations to submit a detailed plan within six weeks, specifying the tools, software and hardware required to establish indigenous electrical, electronics and mechanical design centres.
Emphasising quality, Vaishnaw said electronics and semiconductor manufacturing units must strictly adhere to Six Sigma standards to ensure global competitiveness. He also encouraged companies to procure raw materials and components from domestic vendors wherever possible, noting that the government would facilitate vendor-buyer meetings in coordination with other ministries.
On the proposed changes to the revised Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, the minister said government funding support would be extended only to companies and startups whose designs are validated by the market. He added that beyond initial assistance, further financing would be linked to venture capital funding, in line with global norms.
Vaishnaw further said that the four semiconductor chip assembly units being set up by Micron, CG Power, Kaynes and Tata Electronics are expected to begin commercial production before the end of the year.