As global economy continues to plunge into crisis due to the the deadly coronavirus outbreak, countries are now looking to find ways to ensure some support to industries, that have been brought to a standstill by Covid 19. India too, is looking at ways to support an already dim economy.
One such measure, that the country’s central tech ministry is looking at, is airlifting of crucial components from China. While India’s economic growth is a shadow of what it was expected to be, electronics manufacturing, and smartphone manufacturing in particular, has picked up rapid pace over the past 5 years. However, the company is still heavily reliant on China for crucial components like processors, camera modules etc.
To ensure it continues the rapid economic development on electronics front, India is reportedly looking to airlift some of these crucial components. According to a Reuters report, citing two officials within the ministry, India has asked electronics and smartphone makers to draw up a list of components made in China which then can be airlifted.
Strange as it may sound in 2020, this airlift attempt though encouraging, clearly shows the disconnected nature of global supply chain. It also goes on to show how over dependence on one specific country has resulted in nothing short of a catastrophe in situations like Coronavirus. For the electronics and smartphone components, the technology ministry “is in touch with aviation carriers and air freighters and they’ve been connected with the industry,” one of the government sources told Reuters.
Certain geographies within China, which could be looked at for airlifting, are Guangzhou and Shanghai. The two cities are global electronics manufacturing hotspots, and hence the selection. The sources did not say when the airlifting might begin.
