Apple Can Change India’s Manufacturing Scene:Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre

NEW DELHI: The government sees iconic companies like Apple and large consumer goods makers like Samsung as big players in electronics who can change the face of manufacturing in India, Minister of State for IT and Telecom Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre has said.

“Apple and Samsung are very big players, they can change scenarios for private sector manufacturing, they can be role models for other companies to manufacture in India”, Dhotre told IANS in an exclusive interview.

On Monday, IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad held a day-long round table with the CEOs of many global companies, including Apple and Samsung, to get feedback on their concerns and how those could be addressed to make India a top electronics manufacturing hub.

Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey and Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant also attended the meeting.

Cupertino-based smartphone maker Apple Inc, was specially mentioned and nudged by Prasad to expand their presence in India.

“Apple has started manufacturing phones in India including components. They have started making iPhones in India and also components both for exports. But this is just a tip of the iceberg. I want a robust presence of Apple in India. A super robust presence of Samsung in India. Apple is also on board as far as the India story in concerned,” Prasad told media here after the meeting.

The global IT and telecom CEOs raised issues of tariffs, taxes, single window clearance and component manufacturing, among others, with the Minister.

“ The round table meeting was to only hear from them because many of their problems are similar— tax structure, tariffs , state level problems. Revenue secretary and Niti Aayog CEO were there and we all will sit together and resolve everything. Incentives or otherwise, there are some probles on the duty and the tax structure. And the revenue secretary has assured of looking into the issues”, Dhotre said. (IANS)

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