"DLI WILL HELP 20+ DOMESTIC SEMICONDUCTOR DESIGN COMPANIES"

The Union Cabinet in India has allocated Rs 76,000 crore for supporting the development of a semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem.

RAJESH KAUSHAL

Business Head- Communication and Information Solutions, Delta Electronics India

The Made in India telecom equipment is slowly making inroads in the global market. How will you describe the change?

In the last five years, India has undergone a major technological transformation and emerged as the second fastest-growing digital economy, with Indian companies developing expertise in high-quality manufacturing across the value chain, from smartphone manufacturing to network equipment and optical fibres. According to the latest data for 2022, India holds a 21% share of global mobile data traffic and is second only to China.

The continuous increase in data demand is boosting smartphone sales. The Indian smartphone market was valued at USD 139 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% to USD 281 billion by 2028. The local optical fibre and accessories market is also expected to reach USD 1.66 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 17.2% between 2019 and 2026. This provides an opportunity for the industry to emerge as the champion of the government's Make in India initiative, catering not only to the domestic market but also to export markets as the government negotiates trade agreements with major export destinations.

What has been the impact of various government initiatives on the telecom equipment manufacturing sector?