Despite PLI, India imports seven times the telecom equipment it exports

In FY24, India's telecom goods imports outpaced its exports by seven times. The Department of Telecommunications said that India imported telecom products worth about ?1,46,000 crore in the previous fiscal year, while exports were around ?20,000 crore. 

According to DoT data, India's telecom exports have been declining over the last three years. 

In FY22, around the time the Indian government established a production-linked incentive scheme for telecom items, India exported telecom goods worth more than Rs 60,000 crore. However, two years later, exports have decreased by a third. 

The DoT's telecom PLI plan includes 42 participants, and the centre has contributed a total outlay of ?4,115 crore. It is already in its third year of implementation, yet imports of telecom goods have only increased modestly over the last three years. 

Source: The Hindu Business Line