Visakhapatnam — The government has called on global companies to expand telecom component manufacturing in India, stating that the sector presents an investment opportunity worth $25 billion.
Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar made the remarks on Friday while addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam. The event was held in the presence of Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and business leaders from India and abroad.
The Minister said the government is focusing on creating a favourable environment for telecom and electronics manufacturing and is prepared to support new investment proposals through faster clearances.
He added that India intends to become a competitive supplier of telecom components to global markets as the sector enters a phase of rising demand in areas such as 5G, fibre networks and future communication technologies.
Participating companies were told that investment in India would give them access to a rapidly expanding domestic consumer market as well as export opportunities. The Minister said the country is working to attract capital through a combination of infrastructure spending, production-linked incentive schemes and legislative reforms.
Policy focus and Andhra Pradesh’s investment pitch
Chandra Shekhar said India has been increasing its emphasis on private industry participation and entrepreneurship, with the government seeking to position the domestic technology sector in global value chains.
Citing policy reforms over the past decade, he highlighted investments in roads, airports and digital infrastructure, changes to labour rules, and initiatives such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
The Minister also used the platform to present Andhra Pradesh as a favourable investment destination. He said the state has developed industrial hubs for information technology, automobiles, electronics and financial services and has seen increasing interest from overseas companies in recent years.
According to the Minister, the presence of major ports, renewable energy potential and industrial land availability are factors that can support new projects in the state. He added that the Andhra Pradesh government is aiming to accelerate investment approvals.
Industry to shape telecom production growth
India has been attempting to build a domestic manufacturing base for network equipment and components for several years but continues to rely significantly on imports, particularly from East Asia. The current push is aimed at reducing this dependency while expanding exports to fast-growing telecom markets in the Global South.
Industry executives present at the summit discussed opportunities related to 5G network expansion, fibre deployment and emerging technologies that require advanced semiconductors and radio equipment. They said that the long-term outcomes will depend on cost competitiveness, supply chain depth and access to skilled labour.
The Minister said the government expects the private sector to play a central role in telecom manufacturing growth and repeated the expectation that India can become a major production hub with sustained collaboration between industry and the public sector.
