Govt to ensure preference for domestically manufactured electronic products

The union government has issued strict guidelines to all ministries to provide preference to domestically manufactured electronic products in government procurement, in a bid to boost domestic production of electronics goods, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's `Make in India' initiative.

A committee of secretaries has decided that all ministries and departments should identify department-specific domestically manufactured electronic products for procurement, and notify them within a fortnight.

All government departments have been asked to adhere to a tender template already issued by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, for procurement of electronic items.

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology has also been asked to put in place an online monitoring system for reporting by ministries/departments and state governments, on procurement of electronic products.

This system, to be operationalised in a fortnight, will capture the break-up of domestically manufactured electronic equipment by value.