The government approved 29 proposals under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, with projected investment of Rs 71,040 million (mn), projected production of Rs 845,150 mn and expected 14,246 direct jobs. These approvals follow previous sanction of 46 applications with projected investment of Rs 545,670 mn. The measures span mobile, telecom, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, automotive and IT hardware sectors. The approvals cover manufacturing of 16 products including display modules, bare components such as antennas, capacitors, connectors and Li-ion cells, flexible printed circuit boards, laminates, metallised films and rare earth permanent magnets, as well as capital goods and parts. The package includes the country's first surface mount device passive plant for tantalum capacitors, the first flexible printed circuit board plant and the first facility for rare earth permanent magnets. The Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology outlined four core priorities. He urged building strong in-house design capabilities, developing a robust domestic supply chain with coordinated buyer seller arrangements, implementing Six Sigma quality programmes to raise competitiveness and instituting workforce development through four to five focused training centres each capable of training at least 5,000 individuals. The ministry's secretary said the scheme had attracted strong industry interest and urged speedier implementation by beneficiaries. Industry bodies welcomed the enhanced outlay and linked the approvals to the production linked incentive scheme's effect on mobile manufacturing. Approvals were granted to display module manufacturers and to component makers and suppliers including VVDN, Molex (India), Vishay, TDK India and Syrma Strategic Electronics. Approvals also target supply chain strengthening with projects for copper clad laminates, metallised film for capacitors and a project to make rare earth permanent magnets from rare earth oxide, and six capital equipment projects were cleared. With the latest sanctions a total of 75 applications have been approved under the scheme amounting to expected investment of Rs 616,710 mn and expected direct employment for 65,040 persons, supporting the government's aim to reduce import dependence and position India as a global hub for electronics manufacturing.