India is facing a talent shortage amid a growing semiconductor ecosystem. India's trading partners are concerned about India's import management system, which may be replaced by a stricter quota-based system in October.
Marvell, AMD, and Arm reveal their talent strategies in India
DIGITIMES Asia reported that India's talent pool attracts global semiconductor companies, even with a 21.1% demand-supply gap in the tech sector. Challenges remain in finding, training, and retaining the right talent. Companies like Marvell Technology, AMD, and ARM address these through strong internship programs and academic partnerships, focusing on upskilling and retention with tailored programs for technical and soft skills development.
India reportedly plans to implement import quota for notebooks in October
The Economic Times, citing unnamed government officials, reported that India plans to introduce a new import authorization mechanism in October after the import management system introduced in late 2023 expires. The Indian government may impose a quota-based system to restrict specific computer imports by beneficiaries under the PLI scheme for IT hardware.
China and Japan raise concern over Indian restrictions on imported PCs and notebooks
At a meeting of the Import Licensing Committee on May 21, WTO members discussed ways to enhance the transparency of import licensing regimes. At the meeting, China and Japan raised concerns about India's import management system for PCs, tablets, and other electronic products.
Google invests Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart
On May 24, Flipkart announced that Google would join as a minority investor. Alongside the investment, Google will provide its cloud services to Flipkart. The company stated that this cloud support will help expand its business and modernize its digital infrastructure, enhancing service for customers across India.
Google to launch affordable smartphone in India
Reuters reported that Sundar Pichai, senior vice president at Google, said that the company is collaborating with three manufacturers to launch a sub-US$100 smartphone for the Indian market this fall, aiming to penetrate one of the fastest-growing mobile markets. These "Android One" phones will feature 4.5-inch screens, dual SIM cards, and FM radio.
India sees third consecutive year of declining FDI inflows
Data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade showed that FDI equity inflows into India experienced a slight downturn, dropping by 3.5% to US$44.42 billion in fiscal 2024 (April 2023 to March 2024), which is the third fiscal year in a row that India witnessed declining FDI inflows.
