Cabinet approves Rs 17,000-IT Hardware PLI, Rs 1.08 lk cr fertiliser subsidy

“For IT PLI, the budgetary outlay is Rs 17,000 crore. The tenure of the programme is six years,” Union Minister for IT and Telecom Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the cabinet meeting.

The scheme for IT hardware covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, servers and ultra-small form factor devices.

The minister said the scheme is expected to lead to incremental production of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, incremental investment of Rs 2,430 crore and create incremental direct employment for 75,000 people during the scheme period.

The Cabinet also approved Rs 1.08 lakh crore-fertiliser subsidy for Kharif season, stated Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, while briefing media about the key decisions.

The minister said that the government has decided not to increase the price of fertiliser. The government will spend Rs 70,000 crores for urea, and Rs 38,000 crores for Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP).

“It is essential for our government that farmers in the country can get fertiliser on time & don’t have to bear the burden whenever there is a variation in the price of fertiliser in the international market. Last year the government budget spent Rs 2.56 lakh crore for fertiliser subsidy,”said Mandaviya.PLI 2.0

The government in February 2021 had approved the PLI scheme for IT hardware, covering the production of laptops, tablets, All-in-One PCs and servers with an outlay of Rs 7,350 crore.

However, industry players had requested the government to enhance outlay for the segment.

PLI Scheme, launched in April 2020 with a focus on mobile phone production, has given a massive boost to electronics manufacturing in the country.

Building on the success of the Production Linked Incentive scheme (PLI) for mobile phones, the Union Cabinet has approved PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT hardware.

(With inputs from agencies)