India Needing Fewer Handset Imports

India could stop importing mobile phone handsets by the middle of next year says India's IT and Communications Minister, Dayanidhi Maran. Speaking at a meeting of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC), Maran said that 80% of mobile phones needed in the country will be manufactured in Chennai.

"Nokia is already producing over two million phones from its facility in Chennai every month and Motorola, which is expected to begin operations on January 14, 2007, is expected to produce about 1.3 million phones every month," he said.

Not only are handsets being assembled in India, but components suppliers are also setting up facilities in the country, reducing the need for component imports.

Some 25 million handsets were sold in India in 2004 and is expected to reach 65 million at the end of this year and the figure is expected reach 100 million by the year 2010. Based on current plans, the country should be assembling 125 million handsets per year by 2010."

Posted to the site on 31st July 2006