Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered all Ministries to give preference to electronic products from domestic manufacturers.
All government departments have been asked to submit a department-specific list of domestically manufactured electronic products for procurement within a fortnight. The Prime Minister’s Office announced that this was part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
A tender template for procurement has been prepared by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. The department will also monitor the procurement online through a system that will register the various products according to their price. During the budget session of Parliament this year, 10 per cent customs duty on parts used in small TVs was cut and four per cent special additional duty on laptops was waived. Further, a three per cent cess on imported electronic goods was imposed to encourage local manufacturers.
