india

Updated: Mar 21, 2020 17:01 IST

Central government has approved a production-linked incentive for electronics companies in a cabinet meeting on Friday to take mobile manufacturing in the country to the next level.

The provision is aimed to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components said minister Prakash Javadekar.

Minister of communications and electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad said the decision was in keeping with the target of making India a big hub of manufacturing.

“Two long term policy decisions have been taken to make India a big hub of manufacturing, first in the case of electronic and second in the case of Pharma, as also medical devices,” said Prasad, who was present among the ministers at the briefing.

Prasad said the NDA government had made record progress in the area of electronic and mobile manufacturing,

“From Rs 1,90,000 crore in 2014-2015 , electronic manufacturing in the country has risen to Rs 4,98,006 crore in 2018-19. There is a compound growth rate of 25%. India’s contribution has increased from 1.3% from 2012 to 3% now. Almost 20, lakh people work in this industry,” Prasad said.

He added that there were only two mobile making factories when the government came into power but now, there are 260 companies.

The government also announced its nod to the inclusion of the Ayush Health & Wellness Centres part of the Ayushman Bharat in National Ayush Mission. It said it is aimed to reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary health care.

“12,000 new Ayush wellness and health centres will be made at the existing 12,500 centres and sub-centres of the Ayush ministry and this provision was being funded with Rs 34,000 crore,” Javadekar said.

In other big decisions taken by the Union cabinet, an extradition treaty between India and Belgium was approved. The treaty would enable extradition for offences relating to taxation, or revenue or of a fiscal character.

“The treaty will ensure that offenders from both countries could be extradited,” Javadekar said.