Vaishnaw urges electronics component makers to set up design teams

The Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Saturday said electronics component makers must set up design teams and achieve Six Sigma quality standards to avail benefits under the government’s new incentive scheme.

Launching the Electronic Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) guidelines, the minister emphasised that the ministry would consider these factors while approving applications. “I request every participant in this scheme to set up a design team. While we have not made it a formal approval criterion, I am making it clear here that it will serve as an informal condition for approval,” Vaishnaw said during the launch of the ECMS portal and guidelines.

Six Sigma is a method that helps improve quality by reducing mistakes, cutting down differences, and making work more efficient. While highlighting industry practices, the minister noted that some companies have already established design teams comprising up to 5,000 engineers. He strongly urged manufacturers to achieve the highest standards in product quality.

“My last and final point is: please achieve Six Sigma quality in everything you do. Nothing less than Six Sigma will be acceptable. We will assess your progress not only on manufacturing volume but also on the quality you deliver,” the minister said.

Following the strong response to the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones and large electronics such as PCs, laptops, and servers, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) introduced this incentive scheme for components. According to the government, the objective of the proposed scheme is to develop a robust components manufacturing ecosystem by attracting both global and domestic investments across the value chain. It is also expected to enhance domestic value addition (DVA) and increase India's share in global electronic trade.

The `23,000 crore scheme offers incentives in the form of turnover-linked incentives, capital expenditure (capex) incentives, and hybrid incentives. In a separate development, MeitY on Saturday selected Sarvam AI to build India's first sovereign large language model (LLM) under the IndiaAI Mission. Minister Vaishnaw expressed confidence that Sarvam’s models would compete with the best in the world.