Electronics
Online discounts to rain heavy from July, ease dry spell of electronics, apparel cos
Brands are gearing up for a surge in online discounts and promotions starting this month, aiming to clear unsold inventory ahead of the festive season. Expectations are high for the discounts to be the steepest since Covid-19, particularly in categories like smartphones, electronics, and apparel, which have faced sales pressure in the first half of the year. Multiple sales events are planned by marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart, including Prime Day and Independence Day sales, extending till Diwali.
Mobile phone maker realme partners Sony for upcoming 5G device with AI-imaging feature
Realme announced a partnership with Sony to launch the Realme 13 Pro Series 5G, featuring the world’s first Sony LYT-701 camera sensor and AI-imaging technology. Unveiled in Bangkok, this collaboration aims to revolutionize mobile photography with advanced AI and innovative camera hardware. The official launch dates for India and other markets will be revealed later.
Foxconn Chairman Young Liu to visit India this year
Foxconn Chairman Young Liu plans to visit India this year after receiving the Padma Bhushan from India Taipei Association. Honored for his contributions to India's economy, Liu highlighted Foxconn's significant investments, including expanding iPhone production and setting up a chip plant and EV manufacturing unit
Quick Heal partners with NewJaisa to enable digital security in refurbished electronics
Quick Heal and NewJaisa Technologies have partnered to pre-install Total Security on refurbished devices in New Delhi. CEOs Vishal Salvi and Vishesh Handa emphasized market growth and security needs. Quick Heal shares settled at Rs 519.50 on BSE, down 0.25%; NewJaisa shares at Rs 123 on NSE, down 2.54%.
Reliance Industries starts testing country's first smart television operating system
Reliance Industries is beta testing its Android-based Jio TV OS for a Diwali launch. Competing with Samsung and LG, it will run 4K TVs under BPL and Reconnect, announced by Akash Ambani. Licensing deals and JioCinema integration drive revenue. Jio TV OS is open source. Bug fixes are ongoing amid market trends showing a decline in small-screen TV demand.
Optiemus Infracom plans to invest Rs 140 crore in drone-as-a-service model
The company had formed a subsidiary Optiemus Unmanned Systems (OUS) in 2023 with an initial investment of Rs 25 crore to design drones. OUS, on Thursday, announced a range of drones for agricultural and mapping use-cases.
OnePlus names Robin Liu as India CEO
The smartphone maker also reappointed Ramagopala Reddy as vice president for India region. He will be spearheading product strategy efforts. The reshuffle also saw Samrudh Pai, head of retail expansion, move on from the company.
Bharat FIH plans factory reset on board, order woes
Foxconn group's Bharat FIH is facing challenges as it loses key directors and considers closing its Sri City facility due to reduced orders from Xiaomi, its main client. The company's dependence on Xiaomi has led to a decline, with industry watchers noting a lack of diversification. Bharat FIH struggles to pivot to other sectors and compete with PLI benefits offered to competitors like Dixon.
Regional labour office gives a clean chit to Foxconn on alleged case of discrimination against married women
In its submission to the labour ministry on Wednesday, the regional labour commissioner, Chennai, said there is no evidence supporting claims of discrimination against married women in the recruitment and employment processes at the Foxconn's Chennai iPhone factory.
Indian officials visit Foxconn iPhone plant, question executives about hiring
Indian labour officials inspected a Foxconn factory near Chennai, questioning executives about alleged discriminatory hiring practices against married women. This follows a Reuters report revealing that Foxconn systematically excludes married women from iPhone assembly jobs. The investigation has prompted government inquiries and public debates about workplace discrimination and labour laws.
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India's high input tariffs stifle smartphone export growth, industry calls for reductions & policy changes in Budget 2024
Union Budget: India's efforts to increase smartphone exports through the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme face challenges due to high tariffs on input parts and barriers for global firms entering its value chains. Despite the PLI scheme's success in boosting smartphone production beyond domestic demand, these tariffs, averaging 7.4%, are significantly higher than in competitor countries like China's bonded zones where tariffs are 0%.
Budget 2024: Tariffs, duties & nuisance tax - Here's what electronics industry wants from FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Budget 2024 Expectations: The electronics industry wants Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to simplify tariff lines and streamline duties for sub-assemblies and input parts in the upcoming budget. They specifically call for reducing the current seven tariff slabs to three and eliminating nuisance tariffs of 2.5% on certain parts.
Budget 2024: Electronics industry’s wish list
The electronics industry has recommended reducing the number of tariff lines and streamlining the duty structure for sub-assemblies and input parts, along with removing nuisance tariffs of 2.5% on some parts.
AI smartphone sales likely to be dull in India in 2024
AI-capable smartphones are projected to constitute only 4-5 per cent of the 152-156 million total smartphone shipments in India this year. Global estimates suggest they will make up 17 per cent of 1.2 billion handsets by 2024. Market experts view smartphones as an ideal platform for AI accessibility due to advancing hardware and software capabilities. However, high prices, starting at $600, may impede widespread adoption in India compared to other markets like China, South Korea, and Japan.
Samsung India research unit adds Hindi to Galaxy AI, ramps up tech for rest
Samsung's cutting-edge Hindi AI model for Galaxy AI integrates colloquialisms, conversational speech data, and English word mix handling. The development showcases meticulous attention to detail, ensuring a seamless user experience. This advancement underscores Samsung's commitment to linguistic innovation and diverse language support, setting a new standard in AI technology.
Amrit Jiwan elected as new MAIT president
The Manufacturer's Association of Information Technology (MAIT) appointed Amrit Jiwan as president and aims to encourage domestic IT hardware manufacturing. They align with the New National Policy on Electronics and prioritize tax structuring stability for business growth under Jiwan's leadership.
