Electronics sector set to get a big boost in AP state

Tirupati: The electronics manufacturing will get a major boost in the state with the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurating five facilities and laying foundation stone for two more on Thursday. During his visit to Tirupati on Thursday, the Chief Minister will inaugurate POTPL-TCL, Dixon Technologies, Foxlink, Sunny Opotech, UTNPL and lay the foundation stone for yet another units of Dixon Technologies and Foxlink. AP Electronics and Information Technology Agency (APEITA) will enter into MoU with these companies in the presence of the CM for expansion of their operations and attracting the supplier base.

In total, these companies are going to generate employment opportunities to about 15,000 youth directly while creating economic opportunities for another 45,000 people in the surrounding areas. In the last three years, Andhra Pradesh has made significant contribution to India's electronic sector growth which attracted investments worth Rs 11,400 crore, out of which Rs 3,410 crore has already been realised. On the whole, the sector has created employment opportunities to about 61,000 youth directly out of which 28,700 were already created.

POTPL factory (TCL India) makes TV panels from the electronics manufacturing cluster (EMC – II) in Tirupati. This unit is set up with a proposed investment of Rs 1,230 crore out of which Rs 1,040 crore has been already invested. It creates a total employment of 3,174 in which more than 1,000 workforce is already employed in the unit for trail productions.

Sunny Opotech makes camera modules for world leaders in mobile phones. The company's aspherical lens application, auto-focus, zoom and multilayer coating with other optical core technologies is used by MI, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo to name a few. So far, Sunny Opotech has invested Rs.100 crore out of the proposed Rs 280 crore. The new expansion is expected to employ 1,200 workforce in Tirupati.

The Chief Minister will also launch a production facility at Foxlink. The trial production for USB Charging Cables for iPhones began in March 2022 at the unit. It is learnt that the company is also testing the product for Printed Circuit Board Assemblies for HP Printers and Apple Pencils. The company has invested Rs 450 crore out of the proposed Rs 1,050 crore to build the facility by employing 800 people as of date and expected to generate jobs for another 1,200 people in the state. The Chief Minister will also participate in the groundbreaking ceremony of Dixon Technologies, India's leading EMS company. The facility will make products such as washing machines and TVs.

Apart from the inauguration and groundbreaking ceremonies, APEITA is organising a MoU ceremony with SmartDV Technologies, a proven verification and Design IP company. The company will start its operation from Chittoor next year. The company plans to invest close to Rs.100 crore to create opportunities for 3,000 people and niche skill training for close to 10,000 people.

A partnership with Zetwerk Manufacturing Business will become another feature in the state's cap. The company, one of India's few profitable unicorns, is signing an MOU to explore the possibility of making AP a base to meet global and domestic supply requirements in the electronics manufacturing space.

The officials from the IT, E&C department believe that with these companies and many more to come, the state is progressively marching towards creating a holistic electronics design manufacturing ecosystem in the country.