Personal computer (PC) manufacturers in the country are not happy. Today three out of four PCs sold in India are imported. And PC makers in India want the government to levy higher import cost in order to encourage indigenous manufacturers. They want the government to replicate the smartphone manufacturing model that is incorporated in the country. Presently, 50 per cent of smartphones sold in India are manufactured indigenously. Considering that PC market is far older, there has been not much support from the government.
India’s PC market grew to 11.21 million units in the year that ended March 31, but less than one-fourth of them or 2.68 million units are produced locally.
According to Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (MAIT), the government needs to introduce “duty differential scheme” which will create a difference between importing and manufacturing locally and this in turn will ensure that many players will start making PCs in the country.
Due to lack of motivation from the government, global players like HP, Samsung, Dell who have PC manufacturing units here are running their factory 25 per cent under utilised. Moreover, if PC manufacturing happens big time then it would also bring component and chip manufacturers tothe country.
By Atanu Kumar Das
