POLICY SCAN                                                                                    

Trai issues consultation paper on amended broadcast tariffs

A month before the deadline to implement the amended tariff order for the TV broadcasting sector, popularly known as NTO 2.0, the sector regulator has sought the stakeholders' views on issues related to the regulatory framework. In a new consultation paper issued on Saturday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which also is the regulator for the broadcasting sector, sought views on issues including the ceiling price of a la carte channels for inclusion in bouquet, discounts given in the formation of the bouquet and discount offered by broadcasters to the distribution platform operators (DPOs). Trai asked the stakeholders to send their comments by May 30 and counter comments by June 6The regulator said in a statement that immediately after new tariffs were announced, it received representations from the DPOs, associations of local cable operators (LCOs) and consumer organisations. "DPOs highlighted difficulties likely to be faced by them in implementing new rates in the system and migrating the consumers to the new tariff regime through the informed exercise of options impacting almost all bouquets, especially due to upward revision in the rates of pay channels and bouquets declared by broadcasters. Therefore, Trai engaged with all the different associations and consumer groups including representatives of LCOs," said Trai.

(ET, May 08, 2022)

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Telecom Diary: Satcom, telecom players spar over mmWave band as 5G auction nears

The coveted mmWave band (24.5-28.5 GHz) has become a sour point between satcom and telecom industry. While telecom regulator Trai recommended the mmWave band be put to auction, the Digital Communications Commission is of the view that that mmWave band of 27.5 GHz to 28.5 GHz band – which was sought by satellite companies for broadband-from-space services – should be kept out of the 5G spectrum auction. DCC has sent a reference back to Trai, asking views on not to auction 28GHz range for now. Trai is expected to revert next week. However, this development has not gone well with many, and it has become a issue of Satcom versus telecom industry. Trai had also said the mmWave band (27.5-28.5 GHz) can be used for both 5G and satellite communications services on a "coexistence basis". GSA cited a study on co-existence between mobile carriers and satellite communications providers which said there was no interference issue for the satellite services from the 5G systems in this (24.25-29.5 GHz) band. Satcom Industry Association (SIA) India says the government should discourage allocation of radiowaves to mobile carriers in the 27.5 - 28.5 GHz band. India should align with Europe and the other 120 countries that have assigned International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) 5G and ESIM (earth satellite in motion), GSO (geostationary satellite orbit) and non-GSO in separate bands. 

(ET, May 08, 2022)

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DoT scraps key levy on satcom players

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has amended the unified licence to scrap a key levy on satellite service operators, a move likely to make broadband-from-space services more affordable in India. Satcom operators, accordingly, won’t have to pay network operation & control centre (NOCC) charges for hiring satellite transponder capacity. “The competent authority has decided to remove NOCC charges for telecom service licensees for the use of the space segment,” the DoT said in an order dated May 6. It added that all holders of GMPCS (global mobile personal communications by satellite services), commercial/captive VSAT and NLD permits, involved in space-based operations, would no longer be levied NOCC charges, effective April 1, 2022.  DoT’s directive is in line with the sector regulator’s call for abolishing NOCC levies back in August 2021. Till date, satcom operators had to pay an NOCC levy, equivalent to Rs 21 lakh per transponder per annum, regardless of the frequency band of operation or nature of satellite capacity. Satellite broadband operators welcomed DoT’s decision, saying it underlined the government’s commitment to support growth of digital communications by leveraging the capability of the satcoms industry.

(ET, May 08, 2022)

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INDUSTRY  SCAN                                                                           

General

Kerala: Select BPL families to get free internet by May-end

The state government is gearing up to provide free internet connection to select BPL families in all the assembly segments by the end of May. This would mark the beginning of the ambitious plan to provide free internet connections to 20 lakh families across the state under the Kerala Optical Fibre Network (K-FON) project announced by the first Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2017. The Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd, which oversees the project, has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from local internet service providers that are capable of providing lastmile connectivity. According to the plans, each family that gets free connection would be able to use up to 1.5 GB data per day at a speed of 10 to 15 MB per second. Tenders have been floated to identify the potential local internet providers. Beneficiaries would be identified by respective local bodies and the same would be handed over by K-FON to the local service providers for establishing connectivity.

(ET, May 09, 2022)

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Zero Defect, Zero Effect scheme: How Gilard Electronics became one of India’s very few MSMEs with ‘diamond certification’

The Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2016 had targeted certifying 22,222 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for their high-quality manufacturing processes and products. Now, how did the government arrive at the unique 22,222 figure is not known, but only 329 MSMEs were certified across bronze, silver, gold, and diamond certifications under the scheme, according to the information shared by MoS MSME Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2022.  Right after his schooling back in 1979, Singh joined the family business to support his father while he simultaneously pursued his graduation. Over the years, he has scaled the business to over 100 customers across automotive, electronics, defence, and white goods including Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda, etc. and Rs 40 crore turnover.

(FE, May 12, 2022)

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India defends move to seek VPN user info

The government has the right to seek records related to virtual private network (VPN) users in order to combat cybercrimes, said a senior government official. ET had reported Tuesday that VPN providers such as Surfshark and NordVPN are unlikely to be able to adhere to a new security directive from Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). These mandates maintaining the personal data of users for five years or longer and handing them over to the government when sought or face punitive action. The directive is scheduled to take effect by June-end. "Most of the frauds were happening through VPNs," the official said. "We are just saying you keep the records for five years... we are not saying give it to us. We are saying keep the records - if required, then any law enforcement agency can ask. I think that's a very fair ask. It's an evolution. All the countries are moving in that direction... Police has the right to ask the criminal to remove the mask or not - same is the case here." ndia has more than 270 million VPN users, who use them to access company networks securely, remain anonymous, access geo-restricted content, stay safe on public Wi-Fi networks and get around internet curbs, among other things. The move could render VPN services illegal in India if providers don't comply.

(ET, May 11, 2022)

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Around 78% of India’s e-waste is not being collected or disposed by the government

Only 22.7 per cent of the e-waste out of the total 10,14,961.21 tonnes generated in 2019-20 in India was collected, dismantled, and recycled or disposed off. This e-waste is comprised of 21 types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) notified Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016.  In 2018-19, about 21.35 per cent of the total generated e-waste was handled, collected, dismantled, and recycled in India, while in 2017-18 this percentage was just 9.79 per cent.  However, the data show that not even 25 per cent of the e-waste generated is being managed properly. Experts say that like untreated solid waste, e-waste must be getting dumped in open spaces and water bodies.  Under 2016 rules, provisions have been made for the dismantling and recycling of e-waste. The dismantlers and recyclers have to obtain authorisation from concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) or Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).

 (BusinessLine, May 12, 2022)

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Home Audio Equipment Market size to Increase by USD 14.39 Bn

The global home audio equipment market is set to grow by USD 14.39 billion between 2020 and 2025, accelerating at a CAGR of 10.76% during the forecast period. The market is segmented by type (smart speakers, home theater systems, and sound bars) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA). The report provides detailed insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation, market position, product launches, and customer base among others.  The smart speakers segment will generate maximum growth in terms of revenue. Globally, the disposable incomes of consumers are increasing steadily. For instance, in developed countries such as the US, the total household spending was USD 12.7 million in 2016 and was USD 14.5 million in 2019. The spending capability of consumers is also increasing in emerging nations with the rise in income levels. For instance, the Indian economy is domestic consumption driven. The availability of young demographics, rising disposable incomes, improved education, and rapid economic growth have created high growth potential in the consumer market.

(Cision, May 12, 2022)

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National Technology Day: Noise launches ‘Noise Labs’ for innovative new products

On National Technology Day, Indian consumer electronics brand Noise has announced the launch of a tech ‘incubator’ division: Noise Labs. Under the sub-brand, the company will invest in the development of new concepts and technologies that could potentially prove to be viable for widespread consumer adoption in the future. Noise is known for making affordable and accessible electronic products including audio devices and smartwatches. According to Khatri, Noise Labs has already begun operations with an in-house team formed out of Noise’s current research and development division. After the launch, the company plans to onboard more talent, especially “students from great colleges and other individuals and startups that are already working on creating new products and technologies.”  Once onboarded, these members will have access to Noise’s research, development, design, testing, manufacturing and distribution resources. Khatri says that Noise Labs will be producing products that use technologies “that have not yet been experienced by Indian consumers.”

(The Indian Express, May 11, 2022)

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Information Technology & EV’s

Daily News Wrap-Up: India Launches Open Access Registry for Power Transmission

The Ministry of Power announced the launch of the National Open Access Registry (NOAR). It is a single integrated window electronic platform accessible to all stakeholders, including open access participants, traders, power exchanges, and national/regional/state load despatch centers for electronic processing of short-term open access applications, thereby automating the short-term open access in the inter-state transmission system. National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC), operated by Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), has been designated the nodal agency for implementing and operating this platform. NTPC, through its research and development wing, NETRA, intends to provide a platform to Indian startups to enable them to develop advanced technology for producing torrefied biomass pellets that are well-suited for decentralized small-scale users. The last date to submit the proposals titled “Torrefied Pellet Manufacturing Plant for Agri-Waste” is May 19, 2022. The move by NTPC is expected to reinforce its commitment to developing the biomass ecosystem in the country.

(Mercom, May 03, 2022)

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After realising significant benefits, MobiKwik to move more workloads to the cloud

Founded in 2009, the payment services provider MobiKwik today has more than 120 million registered users and more than 3.45 million e-commerce, physical retail, and biller partners. In 2020, with the vision to scale BNPL (buy now pay later) and ensure a seamless user experience, MobiKwik started its cloud-first approach. According to Anshuman Misra, Chief Product and Technology Officer, MobiKwik, the goal was to ensure the highest degrees of uptimes and performance for the end customers during and post-migration.  Most of the workloads are on the cloud and the fintech company has plans to move more workloads from on-prem to public cloud. “We have devised our own mix of On-Demand and Predictive scaling, taking advantage of the AWS capabilities for compute for the applications that we’ve migrated. We use a mix of Vertical and Horizontal scaling strategies while executing here,” said Misra.

(ET, May 07, 2022)

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Amazon sale on electronics: Get as much as 70% off on gadgets, see here

Amazon is currently having a sale on all kinds of electronic items. If you are lucky, you can get as much as 70% off on products. So what are you waiting for? Up for grabs are soundbars, smart speakers, fire TV sticks and more.  Electronic devices and gadgets are items that get obsolete, in terms of technology, rather soon. You would want to believe that your device is serving you well (and for all you know it may be) but the markets would be flooded with something new - more shiny, smarter and, sometimes, more utilitarian too. Hence, it is always a nice idea to keep a tab on what's happening in the world of technology and to see which one of them come with what kind of offers. It comes with a hands-free music control and streams millions of songs in many languages from Amazon Prime Music, Spotify, JioSaavn, Gaana or Apple Music.

(HT, May 10, 2022)

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How New Storage Rule of IT Ministry Will Impact Crypto Industry?

In a recent circular, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has made it compulsory for all virtual asset service providers to store the ‘know your customer’ (KYC) details and transaction records of their users for a period of five years. Crypto industry experts have cited this as a positive step towards compliance and user safety on crypto platforms. However, some experts believe that this will lead to an increase in the compliance burden for exchanges. “These new data storage guidelines will increase the compliance burden for exchanges. The high cost of compliance might lead them to explore new geographies. This will test the resilience of the exchanges that are already battling with low trade volumes, as well as the shadow ban on banking and payment services,” says Sharat Chandra, vice president, research and strategy, EarthID, a Blockchain platform. Saikat Dutta, Strategic advisor, The Dialogue, a public policy think tank, however, feels that the stated objective of CERT-In’s recent directive is to bridge the gap in cyber incidence analyses by having access to more information and data to enhance cyber security. 

(Outlook, May 03, 2022)

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Telecom

Increasing production capacity in India to start exporting devices this year: Vivo India

Smartphone maker Vivo India is increasing smartphone production capacity in India to start exporting devices from the country this year, a senior company official said on Thursday. Vivo India director, business strategy, Paigam Danish told PTI that the company will make its flagship device Vivo X80 series also in India where it has increased annual production capacity to 60 million devices per annum from 50 million in 2021. "This year we have plans to start exporting from India. That is the reason why we are increasing production capacity. It will be able to cater to the demand of the Indian market as well as enable us to start exporting 'made in India' products," Danish said.  "By the investment of Rs 7,500 crore, which we have already proposed, this production capacity will reach 120 million (devices) annually. It is not just for Indian market needs but it will also be leveraged for export," Danish said. Vivo had 15 per cent market share in the Indian smartphone segment in the first quarter of 2022 with shipment of 5.5 million devices, according to market research and analysis firm IDC. According to a Counterpoint research report, Vivo became the top 5G brand in the Rs 10,000-20,000 price bracket segment in the March 2022 quarter.  

(ET, May 12, 2022)

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India seeks to restore block on $725 mln of Xiaomi's bank assets

India's financial crime fighting agency asked a court on Thursday to re-instate a freeze on $725 million in the Indian bank accounts of Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK) as it investigates fund transfers by the Chinese smartphone giant. The enforcement directorate had seized the money saying Xiaomi had illegally transferred funds abroad to three entities, including one in the Xiaomi group, describing them as payments "in the guise of royalty".  But the high court in the southern state of Karnataka put that decision on hold after Xiaomi challenged it, saying all the royalty payments were legitimate. read more The hold decision would continue for now, a judge of the same court said on Thursday, adding that the agency would make a formal request later in the day to restore the freeze. "The matter requires further hearing," added the judge, Siddappa Sunil Dutt Yadav, who set the next hearing for May 23. A spokesperson for Xiaomi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Xiaomi's lawyers told the court that banks were not allowing the company to make necessary payments, even though the court had allowed it to use funds for purposes other than royalty payments. 

(Rueters, May 12, 2022)

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Karnataka HC allows Xiaomi conditional access to seized ₹5,551 crores: Report

The Karnataka High Court has declined to reinstate a freeze on ₹5,551.27 crore belonging to Chinese smartphone giants Xiaomi, news agency Reuters said. The funds were seized by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month in connection with 'illegal outward remittances' but the seizure was stayed after Xiaomi appealed. Xiaomi also accused the ED of recording statements 'under coercion' and filing charges - foreign exchange violations - as an 'afterthought'.  The high court on Thursday said its decision to stay the order (and allow Xiaomi access to the funds for non-royalty uses) would continue, Reuters reported. "The matter requires further hearing," judge Siddappa Sunil Dutt Yadav said. The next hearing has been set for May 23.  "Allegations (that the) statement of the officials of Xiaomi India was taken under coercion by ED is untrue and baseless… officials of Xiaomi India deposed their statements before ED under FEMA voluntarily in the most conducive environment on various occasions," the agency said. 

(HT, May 12, 2022)

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Xiaomi sees slump in Indian smartphone market share amid challenges but holds onto top spot

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi, facing rising challenges from Indian regulators and economic headwinds, lost share in the world's second-largest smartphone market in the first quarter but remains No 1 overall in the country. Xiaomi’s latest run-in with Indian authorities came over the weekend, when the Enforcement Directorate, the country's financial investigation agency, seized US$725 million from the Chinese firm, accusing it of breaking foreign exchange laws by making illegal remittances abroad, after launching an investigation in February. The move came amid rising tensions between the two countries and as Indian authorities increased their scrutiny of Chinese tech companies. Last month, the former head of Xiaomi India, Manu Jain, was also summoned by the directorate for questioning over tax related compliances and company structure.  Xiaomi, while retaining its top spot in India’s smartphone market in the first quarter of this year, has nonetheless seen a slump in market share amid headwinds. The company held 23 per cent of India’s smartphone market in the first quarter, down from 26 per cent in the same period in 2021, according to a report published by research firm Counterpoint last week.

(South China Morning Post, May 03, 2022)

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Defence, EV & Solar

Ayana Renewable, Greenstat Hydrogen to launch green hydrogen pilot in Karnataka

Ayana Renewable Power, a Bengaluru-based renewable energy platform that is majority-controlled by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), has decided to team up with Greenstat Hydrogen India, a unit of Norway-based Greenstat ASA, to jointly develop large-scale green hydrogen projects in India. The two partners are looking at long-term supplies for industrial and commercial customers. They will initially launch a pilot project in Karnataka.  Ayana is executing more than 3.59 GW AC of solar, wind and hybrid power projects across India, in addition to its 1.19 GW AC of assets already operational in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. Its partnership with Greenstat Hydrogen India combines their respective expertise to facilitate the development of green hydrogen in India, as the nation aims to boost domestic production of green hydrogen to 5 million tons per annum by 2030. “By 2050, India aims to produce three-fourths of its hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Ayana and Greenstat being specialists in their respective domains, carry the right expertise to facilitate this growth,” said Shivanand Nimbargi, Ayana’s chief executive officer and managing director.

(PV Magazine, May 02, 2022)

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Self-powered, dry-cleaning robot for solar panels

Ghaziabad-headquartered Enray Solutions has developed a self-powered, easy-to-use robot for water-free cleaning of ground-mount solar installations. The robot is built for harsh, dusty environments, and the company claims it can lead to a generation increase of up to 7% compared to periodic wet cleaning. The robot doesn’t require any external power supply, as it is powered by an onboard monocrystalline solar panel and lithium battery with a control box. This eliminates the mishandling of the robot while shifting between arrays. The robot easily travels without any rails and cleans itself while docking. A silicon coating on the wheels provides a cushion between it and the PV modules, preventing physical damage to the solar panels. Cloud connectivity also allows the Enray team to centrally control and monitor the robot’s performance and update its software from time to time. The team has installed the robot for clients such as Adani, NTPC, Tata Power, and Vikram Solar.

(PV Magazine, May 02, 2022)

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Indian Air Force organizes seminar on IAF Requirements from MSMEs

Air Marshal Vibhas Pande who is Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance said that the Indian Air Force is committed to realizing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat dream. He said, Indian Air Force has identified certain areas including aircraft tyres and batteries in which it wants to be totally self-reliant. He said, the force will not import any of these types of equipment from abroad. He said, the Air Force is also ready to harness any kind of technology with the aim to succeed in the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Addressing the event virtually, Joint Secretary in the Department of Defence Production Chandraker Bharti said that around 12 thousand Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises – MSMEs  Units are engaged in defence ecosystem including production of equipment and sub-systems of various platforms. He said, the government has also set a target of achieving defence exports of 35 thousand crore rupees by the year 2025.

Source: Link

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Boeing Highlights Defence Mro In India

Boeing is beefing up local MRO work in India for military aircraft such as the C-17 strategic transport, P-8I Neptune anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and VIP aircraft. The announcements come under the auspices of the US company’s BIRDS – Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment – initiative, which aims to increase MRO capabilities in India. On 11 May, the company announced that Horizon Aerospace will conduct wheel and brake MRO work on Indian air force C-17s and VIP 737s, as well as Indian navy P-8Is. “[The Horizon contract] will help us in our goal to generate value for our defence customers locally through faster turnaround, exceptional operational capability and readiness on Boeing aircraft,” says Ashwani Bhargava, director of supply chain management for Boeing India. The Horizon Aerospace announcement came six days after Boeing stated that local MRO firm Air Works is conducting simultaneous heavy checks on three P-8Is at its Hosur facility. Boeing said that this effort “dramatically increases the scope and scale of maintenance, repair, and overhaul undertaken in the country”. Boeing and another Indian company, AI Engineering Services, are also looking at how the two companies can work together on MRO work related to the P-8I and India’s VIP-rolled 777-300ERs.

Source: Link

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Consumer Electronics

Samsung tops YouGov’s Consumer Electronics Rankings 2022 in India

Samsung has received the highest index score of 33.1 among the residents in India, topping YouGov’s Consumer Electronics Rankings 2022 in India. The rankings are based on the index score from YouGov BrandIndex. Apart from its commitment to provide a wide range of products at different price points, Samsung recently unveiled its ‘Together for Tomorrow’ vision, adding to the brand’s overall perception among urban Indians, the YouGov report highlighted. The 2022 rankings in India saw a dominance of smartphone brands. Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus is placed in fourth (19.6), followed by Redmi in fifth (18.8) and its parent company Xiaomi in tenth (16.4) place. Interestingly, LG, Dell, HP and Philips are some other brands that feature in this year’s rankings in sixth (18.6), seventh (18.6), eighth (17.8) and ninth (17.4), additionally, the rankings show the brands which have improved the most over the past 12 months.

(FE, May 13, 2022)

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Videotex to invest Rs 100 cr, set up new LED TV facility in Gr Noida

Consumer electronics contract manufacturer Videotex International on Tuesday announced to invest over Rs 100 crore and set up a new LED TV manufacturing facility in Greater Noida that will create more jobs. With this investment, the company said it will also upgrade its existing capacity to 14 lakh TVs and new capacity to 18 lakh TVs - taking the combined production capacity to 32 lakh TVs in a year. Videotex has been one of the oldest and largest contract manufacturers (ODM/OEM), and "has strong interest in leveraging the new opportunity, with superior technology and infrastructure in manufacturing that maintains competitive standing in global markets," he added. Between the two units, Videotex will add fresh jobs, as per the new volumes defined. This includes employees in the manufacturing units, back office and more along with providing new job opportunities for the vendors associated with the company.

(ET, May 11, 2022)

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Consumer goods makers face additional pressure of depreciating rupee

The depreciating rupee has come as an additional pressure for consumer goods makers at a time when commodity prices are rallying and companies will factor in the exchange rate impact in the next price hike for goods such as smartphones, laptops, televisions, refrigerators and even some daily necessities which are heavily dependent on imported raw materials, multiple industry executives said. he said. Smartphone and electronics maker Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said the value of the Indian currency has been staggering for quite some time. While the company anticipates the rupee depreciation to have an impact on the prices of its products, it is working on a strategy to minimize additional costs to consumers, he said. Godrej Appliances business head Kamal Nandi said the company will factor the rupee impact on its pricing when the next consignment comes in June.

 (ET, May 10, 2022)

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Videotex to invest Rs. 100 crores in new TV manufacturing plant in Greater Noida

Homegrown television manufacturer Videotex International has announced plans to invest Rs. 100 crore in setting up a new TV manufacturing plant in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR). The company said that the new plant will increase its manufacturing capacity to 3.2 million TVs. This includes back-office staff, along with those on the manufacturing floor and more. At the moment, Videotex manufactures televisions for companies like Realme, Hisense, Toshiba, Lloyd, Hyundai and over 15 more brands in the country. It is also the exclusive licence holder for manufacturing TVs that run on South Korean LG’s webOS operating system.  “Electronic contract manufacturing in India is projected to grow by over six-fold by 2025. The increased duty on imports of finished products has given a strong boost to local manufacturing and assembly in India," said Arjun Bajaaj, Director of Videotex.

(Mint, May 10, 2022)

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AC sales hit record high of 17.5 lakh units in April; to touch. 90 lakh in 2022: CEAMA

Driven by the early arrival of summer and intense heat wave, residential air conditioner makers are looking forward to a record sales of around 90 lakh units this year, said Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association on Tuesday. Already, in April the industry has clocked the sale of around 17.5 lakh units, which is also an all-time high for the month.  However, the availability of certain products could be an issue in the next couple of months as manufacturers may not be in a position to supply their entire range of models to meet market demand, especially the energy-efficient 5-star range, due to high demand and supply constraints of components such as controllers and compressors, said Eric Braganza, president of CEAMA (Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association). "At an industry level, the estimated sales of residential ACs ( ) in the month of April 2022 is around 1.75 million units. The sales are double compared to April 2021 and 30-35 per cent over April 2019 figures," Braganza told PTI. This displays a "staggering growth" as compared to the pre-pandemic levels, he added.

(ET, May 03, 2022)

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Air Conditioner Sales In April Hit A Record Amid Heatwave, Says CEAMA

Driven by the early arrival of summer and intense heatwave, residential air conditioner makers are looking forward to a record sales of around 90 lakh units this year, said Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association. Driven by the early arrival of summer and intense heatwave, residential air conditioner makers are looking forward to a record sale of around 90 lakh units this year, said Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association on Tuesday. Already, in April the industry has clocked the sale of around 17.5 lakh units, which is also an all-time high for the month.   "At an industry level, the estimated sales of residential ACs (Air Conditioners) in the month of April 2022 is around 1.75 million units. The sales are double compared to April 2021 and 30-35% over April 2019 figures," Braganza told PTI.

(Bloomberg, May 03, 2022)

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Government Initiatives to reinforce Consumer Electronics Manufacturing in India & make it an international production hub

Demand for electronics has been increasing day by day. Be it phones, laptops, tabs or any electronic goods, people have made themselves dependent on these goods. India is a big consumer of electronics. According to a study conducted, it is estimated that by the year 2025, we can expect India to achieve a GDP of $5 trillion and a digital economy of $1 trillion. The Indian government has taken several steps to boost domestic electronics manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and increase exports. The Make in India programme, the National Policy on Electronics (2019), the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the electronics sector, the Modified Special Incentives Scheme, the Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) Scheme, and several other measures are intended to provide incentives for domestic manufacturing, localization of electronics manufacturing, attracting foreign direct investment, and increasing exports. 

(PC Quest May 11, 2022)

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MSME

MSMEs hugely impacted by power crisis, fear job losses

Small businesses have been hit disproportionately hard by the continuing power crisis, with several having to shut operations during outages, causing production losses, and others with power backup forced to bear increased costs during the second half of April, when cuts were more frequent and prolonged, said industry executives. “Power outages lead to loss of production opportunities and the usage of power backups nearly doubles the cost of power," said Anil Bhardwaj, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (Fisme).

Source: Link

PM Modi gave manufacturing opportunities to private sector, especially MSME: Nirmala Sitharaman

COIMBATORE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the present Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had created opportunities for private sector to manufacture products, as ooposed to the scheme during the previous Congress rule. Harping on the 70 years before PM Modi came into power, Sitharaman said that earlier license quota was the norm which only allowed public sector units (PSUs) to manufacture products thereby limiting opportunities and the aspirations of core industries.

Source: Link

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BoB launches digital co-lending platform to facilitate NBFC partnerships

Public sector banks Bank of Baroda on Monday announced the launch of an end-to-end Digital Platform to facilitate co-lending of loans in partnership with NBFCs. The platform will provide seamless integration between the Bank and multiple NBFC partners to strengthen accelerate and simplify the co-lending process.  The company said in a statement, the platform uses rule-based algorithms for underwriting, enables credit assessment checks, enables Retail, MSME, Agri co-lending product offerings and increases process efficiency. 

Source: Link

MSME capital rules may be revised often

The government plans to revise the capital investment criteria to qualify as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on a regular basis to make them more realistic and aligned with changing inflation levels, two officials aware of the proposal said. The revision could happen every three or five years, depending on the view emerging after consultations with stakeholders on the draft MSME policy, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Source: Link

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ELCINA EVENTS , ACTIVITIES & SERVICES 

SEMI President & CEO Mr Ajit Manocha and ELCINA Leaders agree to collaborate

In the backdrop of Semicon India 2022 being organised in Bengaluru from 29^th April by Ministry of Electronics & IT and the recently announced Scheme for Promotion of Semiconductor Eco-System in India with a massive outlay of Rs 76,000 Crores, SEMI President & CEO Mr Ajit Manocha met ELCINA Leaders in New Delhi to explore collaboration opportunities for promoting the Semiconductor and electronics industry. The vision of the industry leaders is to catalyse the industry in India and support investors by ensuring that the benefits of the Semiconductor and other schemes under National Policy on Electronics are delivered to them and targets achieved. 

SEMI, headquartered in Milpitas, California, USA, is the leading global industry association comprising companies involved in the semiconductor, electronics design and manufacturing supply chain connecting a vast global community from electronics domain serving more than 2,500 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide.

SEMI is headed by Mr Ajit Manocha, a distinguished industry leader with over 40 years of global experience in the semiconductor industry. Formerly he was CEO at GlobalFoundries. He has had an esteemed career shouldering top responsibilities at Spansion, Philips/NXP Semiconductors following his early career success at AT&T Bell Laboratories where, as a research scientist, he was granted several patents related to microelectronics manufacturing. Mr Manocha is active on global advocacy issues, championing electronics advances to improve global innovation, health, safety, talent, and education. In 2020, the Silicon Valley Engineering Council inducted him to be in the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.

The two associations agreed to foster collaboration and identify potential opportunities in upcoming semiconductor and microelectronics sector in the country and work to realise the potential.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sanjay Agarwal, President ELCINA expressed great enthusiasm on the prospects of SEMI and ELCINA working together. He said “ELCINA is dedicated to serving electronics manufacturing across verticals and supporting Semiconductor manufacturing is a matter of pride for us. Some of our long-term members are manufacturing Discrete semiconductors and devices and our collaboration with SEMI will strengthen our efforts and enable growth of this high-tech segment. Our strengths are complementary, and this will have very encouraging results in the times to come. ELCINA can provide an interactive and vibrant platform in India to global companies represented by SEMI and hand holding them to successfully establish operations in India and avail benefits of the schemes formulated by the Central and State Governments of India. We are dedicated to work to provide a seamless and positive experience in India”.

Mr Ajit Manocha too expressed happiness at the prospect of SEMI working with ELCINA and welcomed the strategic objective of Government of India and the industry to become a hub for electronics and semiconductor innovations serving the requirement of the world. “The partnership with ELCINA will be beneficial for the entire industry,” Mr Manocha said. “Some tough lessons had been learned from the geo-political issues over the last 2-3 years which had shaken up the confidence of global companies”.   However, he stated that “India had not taken advantage of the opportunities which had emerged while smaller economies such as Vietnam and Philippines had been able to gain more. The new Semiconductor Policy announced by Ministry of Electronics & IT is well thought out and much better geared to catalyse the growth of the semiconductor industry in India. We are very happy to collaborate with ELCINA to connect the industry in India with the global semiconductor community for mutual benefit. We will work towards the common objectives of supporting the global electronics industry and strengthen the efforts for research and development for sustainability, green electronics, societal gains and skill development”.

Dr Ashwini Agarwal, Director, Applied Materials spoke on the India Semiconductor Opportunity -Challenge and Change, and highlighted the “huge potential for ELCINA to work together to promote the semiconductor industry in line with ‘Make in India’ opportunity. There was need for strong focus on B2B engagement and collaborations for investment and market promotion” Dr Agarwal said. Mr Amrit Manwani, Chairman Sahasra Group which is establishing the first Semiconductor facility for packaging memory devices was equally optimistic about the SEMI – ELCINA collaboration and fiture of semiconductor manufacturing in India. “Being a part of ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat” initiative the ‘India Semiconductor Mission’ (ISM) is bound to be a great success and we at ELCINA would be happy to be a part of this nation building exercise”.

Key ELCINA members and Past Presidents who participated included Mr Vinod Sharma, MD, Deki Electronics Ltd., Mr Sanjive Narayan, Director, Syrma-SGS and Mr Pankaj Gulati, COO, CDIL. They were keenly looking forward to this close association with SEMI as there was great synergy between the two associations with potential to work together for benefit of their respective members. Notable participating organisations in the meeting included Infineon, Corning, Tata Electronics, Seoul Semiconductors and NCFlexe, IIT Kanpur. Speaking on behalf of ELCINA Members, Rajoo Goel, Secretary General, said that the all-encompassing role of SEMI covering wide scope of the electronics industry is highly synergistic with ELCINA for future engagements to bring new opportunities for Indian industry and enable them to move into the higher technology space.

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Kindly click the following link for registration: https://forms.gle/YRFtWjwxP8YPgZRy5

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS &  GENERAL INFORMATION 

 Overseas Shows

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Note : Since this information is subject to change, especially in view of the spread of the corona virus, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details from the organizers before making any commitment.

Domestic Shows  

Note : Since this information is subject to change, especially in view of the spread of the corona virus, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details from the organizers before making any commitment.

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 ELCINA Micro & Small Industries Forum  (EMSIF)                               

     EMSIF Marketing Booklet

 For more details about the Forum please contact:

Rajesh Rawat

Manager – Events & CKM

Cell: +91 9911445890

Email: rajesh@elcina.com / support@elcina.com

 

Prachi Naphade

Executive –  Projects, Research and Communication

Email: prachi@elcina.com

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ELCINA PRODUCT DISPLAY CENTRE at  ELCINA HOUSE

The 'OSRAM DISPLAY CENTRE' in ELCINA House is a permanent Display Centre and serves to showcase the Indian electronics industry to visitors. The Display Centre has now 11 Full Stalls and 4 Half/Mini Stalls, presently occupied by the following Member-companies:-  

Two full stalls are currently available at present and interested members may kindly contact ELCINA House, New Delhi (saly@elcina.com) for advance booking of the same.

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PUBLICATIONS

ELCINA EMS Task Force Report:

(recently Launched by Mr. Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Min. of Electronics & IT)

ELCINA constituted a Task Force to study the EMS Sector and come up with a Research Report providing details of the status and prospects of this ESDM segment. The task force had representation from MeitY & Invest India. The EMS Task Force commenced deliberations in July 2020 and concluded the same in November, coming up with valuable details such as the sector’s current size, growth potential, exports and policies which impact its progress. 

The Task Force findings are compiled in the form of a report. As per report, globally EMS sector was valued at US$ 832 Bn in 2019 and estimated to grow to US$ 1055 Bn by 2025. ELCINA predicts that the Indian EMS industry will gallop from US$ 23.5 Bn in 2019-20 to US$ 152 Bn by 2025. This effectively means that it has the potential to grow from <3% of the global industry to about 14% within 5 years.

You may order the same from by following the below link;

https://elcina.com/ems-task-force-report-on-market-industry-analysis-of-ems-sector-in-india

“Indian Printed Circuit Board Industry & Market Research Report

The evolution of miniaturization and sub-miniaturization in the design of electronic equipment led to the emergence of a new technique of inter-component wiring and assembly known as the printed circuit board (PCB). This technology has now become the backbone of electronic devices. They provide the required mechanical support structure and electrical connect for the circuit. In addition to providing the connectivity, they also help to reduce the overall size and enhance the efficiency of the device.

• By 2020, the electronics market in India is expected to increase with a CAGR of 25.1 per cent to USD 400 billion from USD 104 billion in 2015

• Currently only 35% of this demand is currently being met by local manufacturers. And for the rest 65%, India is still dependent on imports.

• Hence, PCB- being the backbone of electronics holds a huge demand in India - Current demand of USD 2.01 Billion represents the demand based on the total PCBs (which includes both the bare board PCBs and the populated PCBs)

• Current market size for bare PCBs is USD 1.2 Billion - Only 30% of this demand for bare PCBs is currently being met by local PCB manufacturers. And for the rest 70%, India.

You may order the same from by following the below link;

https://elcina.com/an-update-on-the-indian-printed-circuit-board-industry

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“Opportunities and Challenges in the Strategic Electronics Sector, with special focus on MSMEs”. 

We are pleased to inform you that, a Special Report (update 2016) has been prepared by ELCINA on “Opportunities and Challenges in the Strategic Electronics Sector, with special focus on MSMEs”.  This Report involved detailed research & discussions with varied stakeholders from Defence Sector. It provides updated information as well as recommendations for next steps for Strategic Electronics and policy changes that we believe are required to take the Defence Electronics Sector to new heights. The updated report was released during Strategic Electronics Summit 2016.

This Study provides on insight into the Defence Electronics eco-system in India and is a guide, both for the industry as well as the defence establishment to chalk out a path to success in this important sector. You may order the same from by following the below link

https://elcina.com/a-study-on-opportunities-and-challenges-in-strategic-electronics-in-aerospace-defence-sector-with-focus-on-msmes

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 Super Capacitor-Market Landscape Study

A Supercapacitor or Ultracapacitor is a charge storage device that stores electrical charges via electrochemical & electrostatic processes and has an unusually high energy density when compared to common capacitors. Due to their beneficial properties like fast charging ability,

superior low temperature performance, long service and cycle life, and reliability, Supercapacitors hold the potential to replace or complement traditional batteries and capacitors in several applications. Supercapacitors are already being used world   wide in number of applications ranging from automotive, renewable energy to electronics. For more details you can visit below link:

https://elcina.com/super-capacitor-market-landscape-study

For enquiries, call Ms.Tandra Majumder,
ELCINA HOUSE, 422 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi - 110 020.

Tel: +91 (011) 41615985, 41011291
Email: tandra@elcina.com  or info@elcina.com

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