The exhibition of the 14th Source India – Electronics Supply Chain summit was inaugurated at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

The electronics industry is a significant player in the State’s industrial ecosystem and the State government plans to keep up the momentum already, said Arun Roy, Secretary of the Industries department. 

Mr. Roy was delivering the inaugural address of the 14th edition of the Source India electronics and supply chain exhibition organised by Electronics Industries Association of India (ELCINA) at the Chennai Trade Centre on Tuesday. He said the State has one of the largest manufacturing workforce and contributes more than 13% of the manufacturing gross value added (GVA). With Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s target of achieving a $1 trillion economy, the State which contributes 20% of the electronics manufacturing output in the country plans to grow faster than the national average in the coming years. Mr. Roy said the electronics exports in the State have been growing phenomenally, what once stood at $1.60 billion 2021 has grown to $9.56 billion 2023-24. He said while the State government is keen to keep up the momentum growing in electronics manufacturing, the State government understands that steps need to be taken to improve the components manufacturing through improvements in the value addition by aligning closely with the global value chain. He said the State plans to capitalise on the strengths of the existing industrial ecosystem in automobiles and electronics manufacturing. 

Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said good progress has been made in the electronics supply chain in the past decades. Mr. Pal said electronics production contributes 20% of the exports value with 50% of the exports value coming from manufacturing and export of mobile sets. He said the Central government to improve the supply chain network has opened the Gati Shakti for electronics manufacturers. 

Lt. Gen. Karanbir Singh Brar, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Dakshin Bharat area, said electronics components play a vital role in the modern weaponry with the next stage of the modernised arsenal moving towards artificial intelligence. He said the Central government having announced two Defence corridors including one in Uttar Pradesh and the other in Tamil Nadu, the State government should have included Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in the electronics supply chain similar to Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US government being involved in the Silicon Valley. 

Sasikumar Gendham, president, ELCINA, also spoke on the occasion.