China-based consumer electronics brand Infinix confirmed its intention to consider making notebooks in India, as India is ramping up its efforts to encourage local production and discourage imports of IT hardware.
Anish Kapoor, CEO at Infinix India, told Mint that the company was evaluating making products, including notebooks, in India and has been talking with potential ODM partners. The company planned to ensure the production quality, particularly the ecosystem, before deciding on ODM partners.
According to Flipkart, 47 Infinix-branded notebooks are old on the site. Notably, according to the Bureau of Indian Standards, Infinix has partnered with Dixon Technologies and Dixon's subsidiary, Padget Electronics, to make notebooks in India since September 2022, with most Infinix-branded models sold in India made by BYD and LCFC Electronics in China. It is unclear whether these India-based manufacturers are assembling products or engaged in designing notebooks for Infinix.
India has introduced an import management system for notebooks and desktops since November, effective until November 2024, where notebook importers must register before exporting and selling products in India. In December, India told the World Trade Organization that it has no plan to expand the use of the import management system beyond IT hardware.
Notably, India had seen its notebook imports decrease year-on-year throughout 2023 until the figure surged in September and October by 34.46% and 24.37% year-on-year, the months after India announced its plan to restrict PC imports.
As India pushes to boost PC manufacturing and the US aims to decrease dependency on Chinese imports, Intel unveiled a November 6 press release announcing a collaboration with eight Indian EMS providers, wherein Intel pledged expertise and support. This partnership encompasses SMT lines, component quality control processes, and the assessment of final product performance, focusing on the production of entry-level notebooks within India.
Besides Infinix, HP, Dell, and other major notebook brands in India have either applied for the Production Linked Incentive scheme for IT hardware or partnered with Indian manufacturers for locally-made notebooks. Google also said it would make Chromebooks with HP.
India imports of notebooks and tablets in 2023 | ||
Month | import value (US$m) | YoY growth (%) |
Jan | 376.85 | -42.98 |
Feb | 235.57 | -51.56 |
Mar | 291.03 | -62.86 |
Apr | 433.59 | -26.18 |
May | 343.66 | -16.22 |
Jun | 474.31 | -36.24 |
Jul | 557.72 | -19.98 |
Aug | 576.24 | -23.6 |
Sep | 779.72 | 34.46 |
Oct | 703.7 | 24.37 |
Source: Department of Commerce of India, December 2023
