Govt to Introduce Skilling Framework for Rural and Tier-2/3 Youth in Electronic Component Manufacturing: Vaishnaw

As the Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme rapidly matures delivering nearly twice the projected production and employment impact the government is preparing a dedicated skilling framework to train youth from rural and smaller towns, with demand for skilled workers expected to surge, Union Electronics & IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

“We will now focus on skilling using your plants and capabilities to train our youth. Very soon, we will introduce a new skilling framework for electronics manufacturing. We plan to partner with organizations that have a deep social reach and have delivered remarkable results without government support,” he added. 

The Electronics Minister inaugurated Cyient’s fully designed and manufactured 1st-generation energy-efficient Edge Silicon Chip (SoC), while also approving several new projects in camera module manufacturing and enclosure production. 

“These approved projects span Karnataka, Jammu, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, covering a wide and diverse set of geographies,” he added.

The Minister expressed optimism that India will soon be able to meet a significant share, nearly 50–60% of its domestic demand for PCBs, camera modules, and other passive components.

So far, the Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) has approved a total of 24 applications, 7 in the first tranche and 17 in this round.

He also emphasised that applicants must demonstrate strong design capabilities before moving into manufacturing. 

“Today we have a scheme; tomorrow the entire global market will be open to us. But without design capabilities, that opportunity will not last. So my first request rather, my mandate is: build strong design teams,” he said.

Vaishnaw also urged industry stakeholders to prioritise Indian-made products across their factories, plants, and laboratories to support domestic suppliers and strengthen the value chain, while also exploring opportunities in emerging states such as Bihar.

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & IT released the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025. 

Vaishnaw added that the government will now focus on developing a comprehensive new legal framework for the digital ecosystem.

“We are also working with industry to shorten the compliance timelines. Once the Data Protection Board is in place, we will amend the Act to further compress these timelines,” he noted.

Ashwini Vaishnaw was speaking at the event of ‘The Foundation for a Globally Competitive Electronics Value Chain' and launch of  '1st Generation Energy-Efficient Edge Silicon Chip (SoC).