Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Why India Must Innovate and Manufacture for Inclusive Growth
Arjun Malhotra says India should build more of its own technology products.
He believes India should not only assemble products designed in other countries.
Instead, Indian companies should design, engineer, manufacture and support products at home.
These products should be affordable, safe and easy to repair.
They should solve problems caused by India’s climate, infrastructure and different levels of access.
The author says local hardware could also reduce risks from hidden security weaknesses in foreign products.
Cheap tablets, for example, could help ASHA workers deliver healthcare more effectively.
He believes this approach could create jobs, improve services and help India grow.
India’s digital public infrastructure is described as seamless, paperless and increasingly cashless.
The author argues India must move from assembling foreign-designed products to developing complete domestic value chains.
Innovation should address Indian needs such as affordability, infrastructure limits, climate, safety and repairability.
India’s consumer electronics market was valued at $73.73 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow 6.8% annually through 2030.
The author says locally designed hardware could improve inclusion, strengthen cybersecurity and support healthcare, education and employment.
- Who
- Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL and chairperson of the EPIC Foundation, presents the argument.
- What
- The article calls for more Indian design, research, manufacturing and innovation in electronics and other products.
- When
- The article discusses recent digitisation and India’s expected growth from 2023 onward, including a consumer-electronics forecast through 2030.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The author argues that domestic innovation can create high-value jobs, improve affordability and inclusion, reduce foreign dependence, and strengthen hardware security.
- India’s projected growth
- The article says India is expected to grow by 5-6%, compared with global growth of around 3-4%.
- Consumer electronics market
- India’s consumer electronics market was valued at $73.73 billion in 2022.
- Market forecast
- The market is expected to grow at a 6.8% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030.
- Manufacturing goal
- The author advocates transforming India into a manufacturing hub for new-generation electronics.
- Supply-chain priority
- Products should be designed and made in India with minimal reliance on foreign components.
- Healthcare example
- The article says affordable, quality tablets could help ASHA workers improve last-mile healthcare delivery.
- Security concern
- The author warns that hidden vulnerabilities in foreign electronic hardware could expose government, banking, defence, energy and space systems.