Samsung Seeks PLI Extension For Smartphones, Eyes India As Production Hub

SUMMARY

The South Korean company is looking to manufacture phone screens in the country under the PLI scheme

Samsung’s Southwest Asia president and CEO JB Park said that the company is also open to sourcing chips from India at competitive price points

In August this year, the Union cabinet approved four new semiconductor projects in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab with a total investment of INR 4,584 Cr under the ISM

Tech giant Samsung has applied for the product-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile components and is also seeking extension of its approval under the smartphone PLI scheme. The South Korean company is looking to manufacture phone screens in the country under the PLI scheme.

Samsung’s Southwest Asia president and CEO JB Park told ET that the company is also open to sourcing chips from India at competitive price points.

This comes at a time when India is looking to position itself as a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain. The Centre’s India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has attracted big investments from companies to make the country a semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse.

In August this year, the Union cabinet approved four new semiconductor projects in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab with a total investment of INR 4,584 Cr under the ISM. Other companies that are setting up semiconductor plants under the Mission include HCL-Foxconn joint venture, Micron, Kaynes, Tata Electronics and CG Power.

Last week, it was reported that Apple was in talks with CG Semiconductor to evaluate assembling and packaging of chips for iPhones in India.

Notably, Samsung is among the large electronics companies which are looking to cash in on the PLI opportunities to make India a manufacturing hub. The company operates one of its largest factories in Noida. Park said that Samsung would expand its capacity in the country if there is a requirement.

Samsung competes with the likes of Apple, Google, and Chinese brands such as OPPO, OnePlus, and Vivo in the smartphone market in India.

Earlier this year, Samsung also began assembling laptops at its Noida facility, where it manufactured phones, smartphones, tablets and wearable devices earlier.

The PLI schemes for smartphones and electronics items have attracted investment from all major players. Apple has been ramping up its production in the country via its contract manufacturers as it looks to reduce its reliance on China for manufacturing. The company is also manufacturing its recently launched iPhone 17 in Foxconn’s Bengaluru-based unit.

Besides, Google has been manufacturing Chromebooks, in partnership with HP, at its Chennai, as well as Pixel phones.