Electronics Era: India is increasingly emerging as a major manufacturing destination for consumer electronics. From your perspective, what are the key factors driving India’s rise as a global electronics manufacturing hub?
Imran Kagalwala: India’s rise as a global consumer electronics manufacturing hub is being driven by a strong combination of policy push and market pull. Government initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat have created the right ecosystem, while a large and growing domestic market provides the scale needed for sustained investments. What also works in India’s favour is its expanding industrial base and skilled workforce, making it a credible long-term manufacturing destination.
Electronics Era: India is often positioned as an alternative manufacturing base to global supply chains concentrated in East Asia. What advantages does India currently offer in terms of manufacturing, design, and market access?
Imran Kagalwala: What makes India stand out today is its ability to combine scale with capability. On the manufacturing front, the country has made steady progress in strengthening infrastructure and improving ease of doing business, enabling companies to scale operations with greater confidence.
From a design perspective, India’s strong engineering talent pool allows companies to move beyond assembly into areas such as product development, value engineering, and design optimisation.
Equally important is market access, India offers one of the largest and fastest-growing consumer bases globally, allowing companies to build for both domestic demand and exports. Alongside the global push for supply chain diversification, these factors position India as a well-rounded and future-ready manufacturing destination.
Electronics Era: UNIX India has invested in advanced manufacturing infrastructure, including automated assembly and SMT lines in its Gujarat facility. How important is technological modernization in strengthening India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem?
Imran Kagalwala: The ability to compete globally today is directly linked to how effectively manufacturers adopt advanced technologies. In electronics manufacturing, precision, speed, and consistency are non-negotiable, and that’s where technological modernisation becomes critical. Our investments in automated assembly and SMT lines at our Gujarat facility have significantly enhanced both productivity and quality control. More importantly, such investments are not just operational upgrades, they are essential for building a scalable, resilient, and globally competitive electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India.
Electronics Era: With increasing emphasis on domestic manufacturing, how is the component supply chain in India evolving particularly for products like chargers, cables, power banks, and audio accessories? What steps are necessary to move toward higher domestic value addition?
Imran Kagalwala: India has made steady progress in localising design and assembly for products like chargers, cables, power banks, and audio accessories. However, dependence on critical components such as semiconductors, connectors, and battery cells still remains a key challenge.
To move toward higher domestic value addition, the focus now needs to shift to strengthening the component ecosystem through targeted policy support, incentives, and long-term investments. Encouraging local manufacturing of key components, along with building a robust supplier base, will be essential to creating a more self-reliant and globally competitive electronics industry.
Electronics Era: UNIX India recently expanded internationally with an operational base in Dubai to support global growth. How do you see Indian consumer electronics brands leveraging exports to expand their global footprint?
Imran Kagalwala: Indian consumer electronics brands have a strong opportunity to scale globally by leveraging their strength in value engineering, delivering reliable products at competitive price points. This becomes especially relevant in emerging markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where demand for quality yet affordable products is growing rapidly. Exports can be a key growth lever, but success will depend on more than just pricing. Brands need to focus on consistent product quality, global certifications, and building strong distribution and service networks in target markets.
Our operational base in Dubai is a strategic step in this direction, enabling us to be closer to key markets and respond more efficiently. With the right market selection and execution, Indian brands are well-positioned to build a meaningful global presence.
Electronics Era: The government’s decision to reduce Basic Customs Duty on mobile charger components is expected to influence the accessories market. How do you see this move influencing domestic manufacturers?
Imran Kagalwala: The reduction in Basic Customs Duty on charger components is a positive step, as it directly lowers input costs and improves cost competitiveness for domestic manufacturers. This can support local assembly and enable Indian brands to offer more competitively priced products.
However, for this to translate into sustained growth, it needs to be complemented with safeguards for domestic players. The implementation of appropriate anti-dumping measures will be critical to ensure a level playing field, particularly against subsidised imports. A balanced approach like this will allow Indian manufacturers to focus on scaling operations and driving innovation.
Electronics Era: Some industry stakeholders have expressed concerns that lower duties could increase the influx of cheaper imports. How can policymakers strike a balance between affordability for consumers and protecting domestic manufacturing?
Imran Kagalwala: The key lies in creating a policy framework that supports both competitiveness and fairness. Rationalising duties on raw materials and components, while maintaining appropriate checks on finished imports, can help strengthen domestic manufacturing. At the same time, enforcing strict quality standards for imported products is essential to ensure fair competition.
