Our Next Goal is to Develop Software in India: Electronics and IT minister

After finishing the cycle of electronics production through the newest initiative of promoting components, the government's next move will be to concentrate on developing their software domestically, according to the electronics and IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw told FE. “Once that happens, the backward and forward integration would be complete,” he added.

Clarifying the reasoning behind the software design aspect, Vaishnaw noted that the Union Cabinet's approval last week of the electronics component manufacturing scheme aims at addressing the hardware segment of the electronics ecosystem, emphasizing passive components and sub-assemblies essential for producing electronic devices.

“Once the software design starts happening in the country, it would cover the entire value chain of electronics production, from raw materials and components to finished hardware and the software that powers it,” Vaishnaw said.

In simple terms, this indicates that not just elements like printed circuit boards, lithium-ion battery cells, and sub-assemblies for display and camera modules would be produced in India, but their software design would also begin taking place here.

“We started with smartphones, moved to IT hardware, semiconductor, and with electronics components, the manufacturing cycle is now complete. Once software design also starts in the country, full backward-forward integration would happen,” the minister said, adding that cohesive strategy could turn India from a manufacturing center into a comprehensive electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) hub.