According to the minister of state for communications and IT, Milind Deora, India’s imports of electronic goods like mobiles and cameras rose almost 30 per cent to Rs 1570 billion in 2011-12.
The country had imported electronic products worth Rs 1210 billion in 2010-11. The Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has suggested that instead of banning imports, the government can boost local production by making it easier for companies in India to access the technology they would need to manufacture products.
The proposal aims to set up a marketplace for foreign companies to sell technology to Indian firms. MAIT recommends that the government should not interfere in pricing the technology but instead offer incentives to encourage the transfer of technology. These could include tax benefits on income and royalties earned from licensing IP through this platform. MAIT’s proposal also suggests that the government ought to provide IP owners incentives like reimbursing a part of the costs incurred in developing the technology.
