Electronics component scheme to cut import bill by Rs 20,000 crore: Vaishnaw

The country will be able to save its electronics import bill by about ₹20,000 crore, with the government approving the first tranche of seven projects under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Monday.

“Today marks the approval for seven projects worth ₹5,532 crore. These projects will lead to  production of components worth  ₹36,559 crore and creation of over 5,100 direct jobs and will save the import bill of about ₹20,000 crore,” he said. 

S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT highlighted that these approvals cover a range of key component categories; The first set includes display modules and camera modules, followed by non-S&D passive components, electronic chemicals, and materials for printed circuit boards (PCBs) with three PCB manufacturing units approved in this phase.

“In the telecom sector, approvals also cover optical transceivers and small form-factor pluggables (SFPs) critical components that were previously not produced in India,” he added. 

The approved units are spread across Tamil Nadu (5), Andhra Pradesh (1), and Madhya Pradesh (1) which reinforces the balanced regional growth and expanding high-tech manufacturing beyond metros.

According to the MeitY Secretary, these approvals will enable India to manufacture camera modules and compact imaging units that capture photos and videos in electronic devices. 

“Domestic production of these modules will support their use in smartphones, drones, laptops, tablets, medical instruments, robots, and automotive systems, reducing import dependence and strengthening the local value chain,” he noted. 

Krishnan also informed that the applications for ECMS, which closed on September 13, 2025, against the initial investment target of ₹59,350 crore, the scheme attracted commitments worth ₹1,15,351 crore. 

While interacting with the media, Vaishnaw mentioned that, for the first time, India will set up a Copper Clad Laminate (CCL) manufacturing facility, which will serve as a base material for producing multi-layer PCBs used in almost every electronic device.

He also emphasized that with these approvals under ECMS, India will make a strong entry into component and materials manufacturing, reducing import dependence while creating high-skill jobs and building trusted supply chains for sectors such as defence, telecom, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.

The scheme, approved by the Cabinet on 1st May 2025 with a fiscal outlay of Rs. 22,919 crore has received 249 applications with anticipated investment commitment of Rs.1,15,351 Crores. The response is nearly double the targeted Rs.59,350 crore under the scheme. The estimated production of Electronics Components under the scheme in the next six years will be about Rs. 10,34,700 Crores. The response is 2.2 times of the targeted Rs. 4,56,000 crore worth of production under the scheme.