Industry, govt discussing phased manufacturing programme for TVs to boost domestic production

"To move towards self-reliance, we are deliberating a strategy to enable phased manufacturing programme for high-potential categories such as ACs, TVs, CCTVs and set-top boxes," he said. Hailing the government's move to impose import curbs on colour TV sets, industry experts said the move would help in reducing import of non-essential goods also.

Industry is in talks with the government for a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) for the television segment as it will help in promoting domestic manufacturing, according to sector experts. Dixon Technologies Chairman Sunil Vachani said that PMP would help create a component ecosystem in the country.

"The government and the industry are working together and looking for a PMP, which would be a win-win for both of them," he said on Friday. Dixon is a leading contract manufacturer in the home appliances and consumer electronics segment.

Panasonic India President and CEO Manish Sharma said PMP will help to create self reliance of the electronic manufacturing industry. "To move towards self-reliance, we are deliberating a strategy to enable phased manufacturing programme for high-potential categories such as ACs, TVs, CCTVs and set-top boxes," he said.

Hailing the government's move to impose import curbs on colour TV sets, industry experts said the move would help in reducing import of non-essential goods also. The TV industry in India is about Rs 15,000 crore, of which more than 36 per cent is coming as imports primarily from China and Southeast Asia.

As ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and India have inked a free-trade agreement, many of these imports are coming at reduced or zero duty which gives them a significant advantage. The commerce and industry ministry is conducting extensive consultations with industry to look for ways to reduce such imports.

The major exporters of TV sets to India include China, Vietnam, Malaysia , Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, and Germany. India imported colour TVs worth USD 781 million in 2019-20. Imports from Vietnam and China stood at USD 428 million and USD 293 million, respectively, in that financial year.