New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): India on Thursday signed an agreement to establish the country’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior, with the Centre expecting investments of Rs 2,000 crore and the creation of more than 4,500 jobs in the first phase. The project is expected to attract at least Rs 10,000 crore in investments during the next stage.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Madhya Pradesh government’s Industries Department in the presence of Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and Minister of State for Communications Chandrashekhar Pemmasani.
“Today is a historic day for the telecom sector, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, and the entire nation. Today alone, investments worth Rs 2,000 crore have been finalized, and 4,500 job opportunities will be created. However, our goal extends far beyond this. We aim for investments of at least Rs 10,000 crore in the next stage,” Scindia told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
According to an official release, the Telecom Manufacturing Zone will be developed over nearly 350 acres using a plug-and-play model, with the Centre providing Rs 500 crore in full financial assistance for infrastructure development during the first phase.
“It will feature a plug-and-play system where the Government of India will establish comprehensive infrastructure and testing capabilities,” Scindia said.
The integrated manufacturing hub will support the research, design, testing, and production of mobile phones, telecom network equipment, fiber optics, semiconductors, and 5G and 6G technologies.
The official release said companies including Dixon Technologies, HFCL, and Tejas Networks are among the anchor investors in the first phase. Overall, the project is expected to attract up to Rs 9,000 crore in investments and generate more than 10,000 long-term jobs.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Communications Chandrashekhar Pemmasani said the zone is intended to strengthen India’s telecom manufacturing ecosystem beyond assembly.
“Only 20 percent of the components that go inside the phone are manufactured in India. We don’t want to be an assembly-line country. We want to have design labs. We want to have patents. We want to have intellectual property,” Pemmasani said.
Scindia said the first phase would be completed over the next three years, after which work on the second phase would begin.
“Our first phase spans the next three years. Simultaneously, we will initiate the second phase. This will be a continuous process, building upon the infrastructure already established in Gwalior,” he said. (ANI)
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