Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior to help India emerge as global telecom design, manufacturing hub: Secretary Amit Agrawal
New Delhi, July 30
India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior will help the country emerge as a global centre for telecom design, development and manufacturing, with anchor investors already committing to the project from its inception, Telecom Secretary Amit Agrawal said on Thursday.
India on Thursday signed an agreement to set up the country's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior, with the Centre expecting investments of Rs 2,000 crore and creation of over 4,500 jobs in the first phase, while targeting investments of at least Rs 10,000 crore in the next stage.The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Madhya Pradesh government's Industries Department in the presence of Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Minister of State for Communications Chandrashekhar Pemmasani.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Agrawal said the initiative would strengthen domestic manufacturing, promote innovation and build resilient supply chains in line with the government's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
"By encouraging domestic production, promoting innovation and developing resilient supply chains, this Zone will help India progress from being one of the world's largest telecommunications markets to enabling India towards becoming a centre for telecom design, development and manufacturing," Agrawal said in his address.
The Telecom Secretary further said the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks the beginning of a structured framework for building a globally competitive telecom manufacturing ecosystem in the country.
"Today's MOU translates that shared vision into a concrete institutional framework for developing a globally competitive telecom manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
Agrawal also highlighted the participation of industry players in the initiative and said the early commitment of anchor investors reflects confidence in the project.
"I particularly compliment the anchor investors whose participation from the very inception of the Zone demonstrates their confidence in this initiative and their resolve to walk the talk," he said.
According to him, the Telecom Manufacturing Zone is an important step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant and globally competitive India.
"It also has the potential to attract substantial investment, create skilled employment and generate new opportunities for local enterprises and young professionals," Agrawal said.
Reaffirming the Department of Telecommunications' support for the project, Agrawal said the department would provide policy and institutional support to create an enabling environment for investors and ensure the successful development of the zone.
He added that the initiative also reflects cooperative federalism, with the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government and industry working together to develop a manufacturing hub that contributes to India's emergence as a global telecom manufacturing centre.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in telecom, this is the kind of push India needs. For too long we've been just an assembly hub. Finally moving up the value chain to design and development! The anchor investor commitment shows real private sector confidence. Well done DoT and MP government. 🇮🇳
Good initiative but I'm cautiously optimistic. We've seen many such "zones" announced but actual execution is key. Need to watch for land acquisition issues, infrastructure development on ground, and whether they actually attract global players like Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung to manufacture here. Rs 10,000 cr target is ambitious - hope they achieve it!
Finally some development coming to Bundelkhand region! Gwalior has so much potential beyond tourism. 👏 My only concern is whether the local engineering colleges will be involved in R&D. If we want design hub, we need strong academia-industry linkage like in China or Taiwan. Hope DoT includes that in the plan.
Great to see Atmanirbhar Bharat in action! This is exactly what India needs - moving from importing $10 billion worth of telecom equipment to making it here. Also smart to locate in central India rather than just focusing on NCR or Bangalore. Spread the development!
One critical thing - hope they ensure proper power supply and internet connectivity. Gwalior has power issues during summers. For a telecom zone, 24x7 quality power and high-speed data lines are non-negot
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.