ICEA panel headed by Foxconn India MD to focus on technological gaps in electronics manufacturing sector

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has come up with a Capital Goods Committee which is headed by Foxconn India MD Josh Foulger to address technology gaps in Indian mobile phone and electronics manufacturing sector.

The committee “has been formed to review the scheme on 'Enhancement of competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods sector' and review changes to facilitate manufacturing depth under (Make in India) through technology depth and to evaluate framework to support R&D and sourcing of cutting edge technology in the field of capital goods, robotics, and instrumentation,” ICEA said in a statement.

The founder chairman of this committee is Josh Foulger, Country Head and Managing Director FIH (Foxconn) India.

“Josh who is also fondly called ‘The billion phone man’ has this very close to his heart having cut his teeth as a young professional in the US in robotics and instrumentation and I am delighted that he has accepted this responsibility,” Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman ICEA said.

The focus of the committee will be facilitating patent filing, encouraging IP creation, participation in global standardization forums, exploring incentives and schemes to promote R&D and international R&D cooperation and reverse engineering (i.e. localization of existing products).

Apart from mobile phone and electronics players, there is representation from companies like ASM Technologies, which delivers products and services from concept to customer’s site, and RV Forms and Gears, a leading fixture builder providing complete solutions in precision fixtures used by the world’s leading machine tool manufacturers, ICEA said.

“While verticals are still saddled with imports of CBU’s and are not even looking at assembling, Josh is looking at 2030. This is the beginning of our efforts to a commitment made to MeitY leadership in 2018 while advocating for duty cuts in capital goods that we will take ownership of building this ecosystem,” Mohindroo said.