India's smartphone and electronics industry champions have announced the nation is set to become an integrated electronics manufacturing hub, with indigenous "Indian Champions" set to feature prominently in international supply chains.

Key highlights:

• ECMS attracts Rs.1.15 lakh crore investments, projected to generate Rs.10.35 lakh crore in production and 1.41 lakh jobs
• ICEA and industry leaders hail ECMS as a “turning point” in making India a USD 500B electronics hub by 2030–31

The Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) has attracted proposals of investment worth Rs.1,15,351 crore almost double its original target and is set to create Rs.10,35,000 crore worth of production along with 1.41 lakh direct employment opportunities, a 54 percent hike from previous estimates.

Industry association India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), which has major players like Apple, Foxconn, Tata Electronics, Xiaomi, and Oppo, welcomed the response as a "defining moment" in the path to Aatmanirbhar Bharat. "This is a turning point," Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA, said. "The scheme is secular and horizontal across all the electronics verticals, developing both competency and capacity. With ECMS, we are optimistic India will become a holistic electronics ecosystem where Indian Champions take a leading global position." 

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The scheme has a broad range of components such as passives, PCBs, displays, camera modules, casings, and battery cells, augmenting India's semiconductor policy ecosystem. Ashok Chandak, President of IESA and SEMI India, stated, "The phenomenal response demonstrates the industry's strong faith in India's electronics growth trajectory."

Industry veteran Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of EPIC and co-founder of HCL, added, “Today, most electronics are imported from China. This scheme is critical for creating value addition in electronics manufacturing and achieving technology sovereignty.”

Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, ECMS is seen as a stepping stone toward a USD500 billion electronics ecosystem by 2030–31, including USD 200 billion in exports.