These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 17 – March 22

India's smartphone manufacturing rose in 2024, driven by Apple and Samsung exports, with Foxconn, Tata, and Dixon Technologies significantly increasing production

India's renewable energy sector is witnessing an unprecedented surge, with major corporations ramping up investments as demand for clean power grows substantially year-on-year, according to Powercon, which counts major corporations like Tata Power, Adani, and NTPC among its customers

HCL-Foxconn's OSAT venture reportedly seeks EPC partners L&T and CTCI, aiming for quick Cabinet approval, following a Foxconn senior executive's visit to India

OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. are each seeking a potential alliance with India's Reliance Industries Ltd., The Information reports

India's growing electronics and AI sectors are attracting major global investments. Telangana state's Taiwan Industrial zone and "Formosa Town" aims to draw Taiwanese firms under the "China+1" strategy, while Foxconn will start AirPods production in April 2025. Meanwhile, NTT plans a US$1.5 billion investment in data centers, highlighting India's rising role in global supply chains

Intel's appointment of Lip-Bu Tan as its new chief executive has raised fresh speculation over the company's potential expansion into India's semiconductor sector, particularly in the outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) segment

Since 2019, the Indian government has implemented the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for 14 industries to attract foreign investment in local manufacturing. Although it has positioned India as a key player in smartphone production, its benefits for other sectors are limited. As a result, India may explore offering subsidies for factory construction instead of linking incentives to production and investment levels

Apple is reportedly advancing talks with Indian companies like Wipro and Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW) to diversify its supply chain as the company is actively expanding manufacturing suppliers in India

Two years after its launch, India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware 2.0 has struggled to gain traction, as major brands hesitate to increase production and exports due to the absence of a strong local ecosystem for essential components

Japanese telecom giant NTT intends to invest US$1.5 billion in India from 2025 to 2027, aiming to expand its data center capacity by about 2.4 times. This investment will also facilitate the rollout of NTT's Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) to meet the rising demand for digitalization and AI driven by India's economic growth

German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies is planning to double its workforce in India to 5,000 employees by 2030, with a significant emphasis on R&D. Currently, the company employs 2,500 individuals in India, primarily focused on innovation within R&D

Jackie Lee, president of Altos Computing, forecasts that 2025 will mark the beginning of enterprise AI, driven by increasing AI application adoption. He predicts double-digit growth, particularly in India. To support this, Altos has partnered with local EMS manufacturers to produce servers compliant with Made in India regulations

In a significant development for Taiwan-India economic relations, the Allegiance Group has signed a major project cooperation agreement with the government of Telangana state in India to establish the first "I.T.I.P" Taiwanese industrial zone within the state's "Future City"(Net Zero City) project.

India-based EMS provider Zetwerk inaugurated its seventh plant in India over the weekend as an emerging electronics manufacturing ecosystem has benefitted local firms to raise funds and expand. However, proposed tariffs by the US may complicate its ambition