BLITZ BUREAU
NEW DELHI: The telecom equipment manufacturing sales have crossed Rs 50,000 crore under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, creating more than 17,800 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs, the government said on July 10.
Within three years of the telecom PLI scheme, it attracted an investment of Rs 3,400 crore, the telecom equipment production exceeded the milestone of Rs 50,000 crore with exports at about Rs 10,500 crore, said the Ministry of Communications.
The sales of telecom and networking products by PLI beneficiary companies in FY2023-24 increased by 370 per cent in comparison to base year (FY 2019-20).
The gap between telecom imports and exports has reduced significantly with the total value of goods (both telecom equipment and mobiles put together) exported is over Rs 1.49 lakh crore as against imports of over Rs 1.53 lakh crore in FY 23-24, the Centre informed.
“This milestone underscores the robust growth and competitiveness of India’s telecom manufacturing industry, driven by government initiatives to promote local production and reduce import dependency,” said the ministry.
India was a large importer of mobile phones in 2014-15, when only 5.8 crore units were produced in the country, while 21 crore units were imported.