8INDIAREVIEWDECEMBER, 2025EMC 2.0 SCHEME TO CREATE 1.8 LAKH JOBS WITH RS 1.46 L CRIndia's updated Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) scheme is a game-changer for the country's electronics sector. By creating world-class infrastructure and "plug-and-play" facilities, the scheme aims to promote development in dedicated clusters.The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and IT in April 2020, has so far approved 11 electronics manufacturing clusters and two common facility centres covering almost 4,400 acres in 10 states with a total project cost of Rs 5,226 crore and central financial assistance of Rs 2,493 crore.The district administrations will be able to leverage over Rs 1.46 lakh crore in investments as a result of these projects, out of which Rs 1.13 lakh crore has already been committed by 123 manufacturers, besides generating 1.80 lakh direct and indirect jobs approximately.Until today, the seven units that are operational have invested Rs 12,570 crore and provide work to 13,680 people. Some of the prominent features are shared infrastructure like industrial plots and ready-built factory sheds- at least 10% of cluster space should be allocated for plug-and-play setups to facilitate rapid company onboarding, reduced logistics costs, and strengthened supply chains.The National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium En-terprises commissioned a study to find out the benefits of the programme, among which they identified faster infra-structure growth, better responsiveness, development of skills, and greater employment opportunities throughout the ecosystem. The policy is a step towards India's ambi-tion to be one of the leading global electronics hubs, having longer value chains, and being self-sufficient while the de-mand for both domestic and export products is increasing. IMRIndia's solar energy body, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) have formally agreed to work together (SoI) to help India move towards a clean energy transition that will result in Net-Zero emissions by 2070. This union between SECI and GEAPP strategically leverages SECI's capabilities in the rollout of large-scale renewable energy projects with the efforts of GEAPP to bring in finance and technical support which is a perfect solution to the twin challenge of increasing energy demand and climate goal, India is already on track for the achievement of its early NDC targets.The partnership embraces a multi-pronged approach: grid stability is improved with the help of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and smart grid solutions, new market models such as Round-the-Clock (RTC) and Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) are introduced, the industrial sector is decarbonized, the energy sector is aided by advanced modeling and forecasting, Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE), efficiency measures, and consumer-focused programs are promoted, digitization is used for asset mapping and intelligent grids, and the proven concepts are scaled through tenders.One of the SECI top officials spoke: "The close cooperation is a significant move to extend SECI's role as the execution arm of In-dia's renewable energy goals. It is absolutely necessary for mak-ing green energy affordable, reliable, and accessible to every cor-ner of India." Saurabh Kumar, GEAPP`s Vice President for India, let know: "A primary step towards the world's energy transition is India's commitment. that will assist in the establishment of a stable energy system which will not only facilitate India's growth but also maintain its climate leadership globally."The SoI signed by Prashant Soni (SECI) and Saurabh Kumar (GEAPP) is a landmark moment. The collaboration emphasized the need for the joint de-risking of the technologies in the pipe-line and the use of innovative financing as a vehicle to speed up deployment, hence, the energy future becoming sustainable and inclusive. IMRTOP STORIESSECI, GLOBAL ENERGY ALLIANCE JOIN HANDS TO BOOST INDIA'S ENERGY
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