What Display Daily thinks: The Transsion Group (maker of Itel, Tecno, Infinix phone brands) entered the top five of smartphone makers for the first time by shipping 22.7 million units this last quarter, all driven by sales in emerging markets. That’s amazing, but how does it relate to India? Strategic supply chains is the simple answer. There’s an obvious opportunity for display makers to leverage emerging markets for growth, and there is none bigger than India right now. It may seem hard, and it may seem frustrating, but you have to get your manufacturing closer to the consumer if you want to succeed. It’s too big an opportunity to miss.
An emerging market strategy is also a very profitable one because it is an opportunity to leverage mature technologies. For all the data that supports premium product sales in India, for example, the vast majority of the populace is looking at value products, like a $20 smartwatch.
If not India then, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Less monolithic in terms of opportunities, but still viable as strategic growth engines.
Indian Prime Minister Pledges to Establish India as a Reliable Hub for Semiconductor Investments Amid Global Chip Supply Chain Shifts
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the SemiconIndia event in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, expressing his commitment to making India a dependable base for the semiconductor industry. As geopolitical dynamics reshape global chip supply chains, India aims to attract high-technology companies and bolster domestic production in the semiconductor and liquid-crystal display sectors.
The event, organized by the government, highlights Gujarat’s aspiration to become a new hub for chip companies, building on the success of a similar event held in Bengaluru the previous year. The Prime Minister’s call to invest in India is gaining momentum, with U.S. chipmaker AMD announcing a significant investment of approximately $400 million over the next five years to establish its largest design center in Bengaluru.
Under Modi’s Make in India initiative, India has been striving to transform into a developed manufacturing economy, witnessing increased production of industrial goods, including electric vehicles. The government’s efforts to promote the semiconductor sector and other industries are driven by the goal to generate jobs and retain talent within the country.
Modi’s vision for India in the semiconductor sector aligns with the global demand for a reliable supply chain. As the world’s largest democracy, India presents itself as a trusted partner in this endeavor. By fostering policy reforms and attracting investments, India seeks to solidify its position in the semiconductor industry and achieve its ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Foxconn Bounces Back in India
Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a subsidiary of Foxconn, is in discussions with India’s Tamil Nadu state to invest between $180 million to $200 million in building a new plant for electronic components in the southern region. The plan was shared with state officials, and FII aims to complete the facility by 2024, with further investments expected afterward. While specific details about the products to be manufactured at the proposed facility were not disclosed, FII currently assembles Apple’s iPhones at its existing sprawling campus near Chennai city in Tamil Nadu. FII has held talks with the Karnataka state government, which has committed to invest $1.07 billion for another new plant.
In addition to Tamil Nadu, Foxconn is also exploring opportunities in India’s semiconductor sector and is in talks with western Gujarat state. The chairman of Foxconn, Young Liu, was at the SemiconIndia event as well.
