NEW DELHI: The government has issued strict guidelines to all ministries asking them to give preference to domestically manufactured electronic products, a move aimed at boosting electronics production as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's " Make in India " drive.

A committee of secretaries has decided that all ministries and departments should identify department-specific domestically manufactured electronic products for procurement, and notify them within a fortnight, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said on Saturday.

All government departments have been asked to adhere to a tender template already issued by the department of electronics and information technology, for procurement of electronic items.

The department of electronics and information technology has also been asked to put in place an online monitoring system for reporting by ministries and departments and state governments on procurement of electronic products.

"This system, to be operationalized in a fortnight, will capture the break-up of domestically manufactured electronic equipment by value," the statement said.

The Narendra Modi administration has vowed to boost the manufacturing sector and aims to take its share to 25% of the economy from the current 15%. It has drawn up an ambitious "Make in India" campaign urging investors to set up manufacturing bases in the country. The government is working to create the infrastructure to help investors set up greenfield manufacturing units.

Industry leaders cheered the move.

"We are hopeful that if this is implemented in letter and spirit, it will lead to creation of an electronics manufacturing hub in India. We look forward for a formal notification from the government in this matter," said N K Goyal, chairman of Telecom Equipment Manufacturing Association of India.

Some industry expert said the decision should be followed through to ensure that it is implemented.

"After seeing the non-implementation of preferential market access, this is a good decision by the government. It should have been taken long back. Now it needs to be supported with statutory provisions. Wishfully, it should be extended to all the purchases in India, whether government or private," said Ravi Sharma, Chairman, CMAI (Association of India Communication Multimedia and Infrastructure)

The government is taking steps to improve the country's ranking in the "Ease of Doing Business" index and has sought states support to give a big push to the manufacturing sector. The sector has remained sluggish weighed down by regulatory hurdles, a slowing economy, high interest rates and land acquisition issues.