Smartphone Makers Hopeful Of Easing In Informal Chinese Sanctions
Business leaders believe this may also help resolve issues around the temporary recall of Chinese technical staff, which had affected technology transfer and project scale-ups in India.
India’s smartphone manufacturers are reading recent diplomatic signals as a potential easing of informal Chinese curbs that have impacted the sector for nearly a year.
Industry sources told NDTV Profit that India’s resumption of Chinese tourist visa issuance is being viewed as a “positive sign” that business visas, which are currently restricted largely to companies under the PLI scheme, could also be relaxed in the coming months.
Any move to ease visa norms is expected to boost flight frequency and direct air connectivity between New Delhi and Beijing, which had shrunk significantly during the period of heightened trade and geopolitical tensions. Business leaders believe this may also help resolve issues around the temporary recall of Chinese technical staff, which had affected technology transfer and project scale-ups in India.
According to industry estimates, fewer than 500 technical personnel have been recalled by Chinese firms so far. The scale of the issue is now being seen as more tactical than systemic, and limited in scope.
The industry is also optimistic following External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent visit to China, which is being interpreted as a sign of improving diplomatic relations. If the trajectory continues, India is expected to stay on track to overtake Vietnam as the world’s second-largest smartphone exporter by the end of this year.
Earlier, the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) had flagged three informal pressure points to the government—restrictions on capital goods and high-precision tools, talent recall, and curbs on rare earth mineral exports critical for electronics manufacturing. While no official breakthrough has been announced yet, the mood in the sector is shifting cautiously toward optimism.
