NEW DELHI: Making a strong pitch to investors to recognise India’s “passion” for electronics and technology, Minister for IT and Electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad, has urged global companies to not only manufacture for domestic market but also for export to neighbouring and Gulf countries.

“India’s passion for electronics is enormous and I would request all the investors, don’t miss the opportunity of India. Therefore, `Make in India’ for Indian market, and also for exports to neighbouring countries.

“The technology needs are rising in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and other neighbouring countries, Asean and Gulf,” Prasad said at a session on Digital India. He said that Digital India programme is aimed at making India empowered, awakened and a knowledge-based society and bridging the digital divide between digital ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ is a priority. “India missed the industrial revolution, missed entrepreneur revolution between 60s and 90s because of licence and permit quota Raj. We don’t want to miss the digital revolution. We want to become digital leaders,” he said. The Minister further said that Digital India is not for the affluent but rather for the underprivileged and poor to make their lives better through use of mobile phones. On mobile phone manufacturing, Prasad said that in the last 1.5 years, India has attracted 40 new mobile manufacturing units. Citing India’s pool of engineers, the Minister said that his Ministry was promoting developing HR in electronics “in a big way” including PhD in electronics and programmes for encouraging electronics studies. “We have an open mind, if the investors say that Government also must have a policy in this segment…I want to assure you, we will be open to that,” he said.—PTI