India can protect smartphones, what about junk?

India possesses sufficient domestic capacity to produce smartphone screen protectors, according to Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan. The government has imposed mandatory quality norms on these products, effective from April 1, 2027, with a deadline of March 31, 2027, for manufacturers to comply. Krishnan emphasized the necessity of safeguarding local manufacturers from being undercut by inferior imports.

The government's decision to implement mandatory quality norms for smartphone screen protectors aims to shield domestic manufacturers as the market appears to be emerging with local production capabilities. Krishnan highlighted the importance of preventing the influx of inferior, low-quality imports that could potentially jeopardize the growth of Indian manufacturers who have invested in the sector.

Optiemus Infracom, a company partnering with US-based Corning to establish a screen protector facility in Noida, is working to expand its production capacity. This move suggests a shift from mere interest to actual investment in expanding local production capabilities.

Krishnan observed a change in sentiment among India's electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, transitioning from a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) to concrete investment plans. He also noted increased industry-to-industry engagement, with companies sharing feedback on their investment strategies and progress.

While India recognizes the global electronics industry's push to diversify supply chains away from dependence on a single manufacturing base, Krishnan cautioned against attempting to produce every component of the electronics value chain domestically. Instead, he suggested that India should strive to establish a significant share of the value chain, making it indispensable to global supply chains.

In the realm of semiconductors, Krishnan deemed the industry "strategic and foundational" and advised India to initially focus on legacy nodes, where current manufacturing capabilities and fiscal capacity make entry more feasible. He expressed optimism that the research and development efforts under ISM 2.0 could eventually pave the way for India to build capabilities in leading-edge nodes and niche technologies.