Dell, Lenovo, HP, and 29 other companies apply to manufacture laptops in India: IT minister

As per reports, a total of 32 companies have applied to join India's $2 billion incentive initiative - Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0. Launched in May, this programme is centred on information technology hardware and aims to promote increased production of these items within the nation.

While addressing a press conference, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said there has been a strong positive response to the hardware Production Linked Incentive scheme for laptops and PCs.

Meanwhile, US-based Apple isn't on the list, but it is reported that government officials hope the tech giant might join the initiative soon.

Currently, the units that have already been imported to India can still be sold. However, to boost the Make in India initiative, the Indian government expects these brands to establish manufacturing operations in the country and continue launching their products.

The IT hardware PLI scheme is projected to attract an additional investment of Rs 24.3 billion and is anticipated to create around 75,000 direct job opportunities, as mentioned by the minister.

• For those unaware, the government recently restricted imports of products under HSN code 8741, which mainly covers tablets, laptops, all-in-one PCs, and ultra-small computers.
• Also, the government has announced a transition period of approximately three months prior to implementing a new licensing system for the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers.
• The report also mentioned that consumers in the country may experience delays or even the absence of launches for various product lineups, including MacBook, Windows PCs, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Notebooks, iPads, and iMacs.