New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS): Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced that consumer electronics majors HP Inc and Padget Electronics have signed an MoU to manufacture HP laptops, personal computers, and All-in-One PCs at a factory in Tamil Nadu.

Vaishnaw, who is also the Union Minister for Railways and I&B, told reporters here that this is a major success for the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme.

"In the last 10 years, electronics manufacturing in India has crossed Rs 10 lakh crore (from Rs 2.4 lakh crore in 2014), employing more than 10 lakh people. Due to the PLI for IT hardware scheme, India has emerged as a manufacturing hub for major IT hardware brands," the minister said.

The production of HP devices as part of the pact with Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of homegrown Dixon Technologies, is set to commence from January next year, and is projected to reach 20 lakh units per annum in the next two years after the commencement of production Facility at Oragadam, an industrial suburb of Chennai.

It will generate over 1,500 direct jobs and Padget will gradually increase local manufacturing of components, modules and peripherals, creating more jobs, said Minister Vaishnaw.

Global electronics brands are partnering with India-based manufacturers amid the growing electronics ecosystem in the country.

The IT hardware sector in India is still in a nascent stage and a key factor will be to make global giants like Dell, HP, ASUS, Lenovo, and Acer feel safe to make the country their manufacturing hub, according to industry experts. The revised PLI 2.0 for the IT hardware scheme, with its increased budgetary outlay of Rs 17,000 crore and expanded tenure to six years, is expected to generate an incremental production of Rs 3,35,000 crore. The scheme also aims to create 75,000 direct jobs and over 2,00,000 indirect jobs, thereby significantly boosting employment opportunities in the sector.